Ingredients
Leaves
- 500 gkoko leaves, Gnetum africanum, very finely shredded
Fish and meat
- 300 gsmoked fish, flaked and boned
- 200 gbeef or smoked meat, cut small, if wanted
Base
- 150 mlred palm oil
- 2onions, finely chopped
- 4garlic cloves, crushed
- 2hot chillies, chopped
Peanut
- 150 gsmooth peanut butter, unsweetened
- or 200 g roasted groundnuts, pounded
Seasoning
- 2 tbspground crayfish
- 1stock cube
- salt
To serve
- cassava fufu
- boiled plantain
- rice
Directions
- Slice across the roll as finely as you possibly can. The shreds should be like thin threads, not ribbons. Wash the shredded leaves in several changes of water. Drain them thoroughly before they go in the pot. Now the fish, which needs checking carefully.
- Soak the smoked fish in warm water for fifteen minutes. Break it into flakes and go through it for bones. Discard the head and the harder pieces of skin. Now the meat, if you are using it. Put the beef in a pot with water and a pinch of salt.
- Simmer it for forty minutes until tender. Keep the cooking liquid, which goes into the stew. Warm the red palm oil in a wide heavy pot over a medium heat. Do not overheat it, since palm oil scorches and loses its colour.
- Add the chopped onions and cook them for eight minutes. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for two minutes more. Loosen the peanut butter with hot water or the meat liquid.
- Whisk it into a smooth loose paste before it goes in the pot. Adding it dry makes lumps that never disperse. Stir the loosened peanut into the pot. Simmer it for ten minutes, stirring often. Add the flaked smoked fish and the cooked meat. Add the ground crayfish and the stock cube. Pour in enough water or meat liquid to make a thick sauce.
- Simmer it for ten minutes so the flavours combine. Now the leaves, which need real cooking time. Add the shredded koko leaves to the pot. Stir them through the sauce thoroughly. Cook them for thirty to forty minutes. Koko is tough and needs far longer than an ordinary green.
- Stir every ten minutes and check nothing is catching. Now judging when they are done. Take the lid off and cook it down if it is too wet. Add hot water if it has gone stiff and dry. Taste it and adjust the salt and chilli. Now serving, which is done hot. Serve it in a wide bowl with fufu or plantain alongside.
Technique
- The leaves must be shredded very fine, since a coarse shred stays tough.
- Cook them for thirty to forty minutes; koko needs far longer than an ordinary green.
- Loosen the peanut butter with hot liquid first or it will lump.
Substitutions
- Frozen shredded eru or okazi, sold in African food shops.
- Spinach mixed with the koko to stretch it, which is common practice.
Variations
- Made with waterleaf mixed in, as in the Nigerian afang version.
- With cow skin or tripe added.
- Vegetarian, with mushrooms in place of fish.
History
Made from finely shredded leaves of Gnetum africanum, a wild forest vine gathered in the southern rainforest and sold in bundles.
Frequently asked questions
What is Koko?
Koko is a soup & stew from Central African Republic: wild gnetum vine leaves cooked with peanut and smoked fish. Made from finely shredded leaves of Gnetum africanum, a wild forest vine gathered in the southern rainforest and sold in bundles.
How long does Koko take to make?
Koko takes 40 min of preparation and 1 hour of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Koko?
Yes, within limits. Frozen shredded eru or okazi, sold in African food shops. Spinach mixed with the koko to stretch it, which is common practice.
What is the most important thing to get right in Koko?
Simmer it for forty minutes until tender. Keep the cooking liquid, which goes into the stew. Warm the red palm oil in a wide heavy pot over a medium heat. Do not overheat it, since palm oil scorches and loses its colour.
