Mbongo tchobi

Ingredients

Fish

• 1.2 kgfirm fish, such as catfish or mackerel, in thick steaks
• juice of 2 limes
• salt

Mbongo spice mix

• 3 tbspmbongo spice, or a mix of African black pepper, country onion and grains of paradise
• 2 tbspnjangsa seeds
• 1 tbspAfrican nutmeg, ehuru
• 2 tbsppebe, or bush onion seeds

Base

• 4 tbspoil
• 2onions, chopped
• 6garlic cloves, crushed
• 1thumb ginger, grated
• 3tomatoes, chopped
• 2hot chillies, chopped
• 2stock cubes
• 1 litrewater
• salt

To finish

• a handful of basil or scent leaf, chopped

To serve

• boiled plantain
• cassava sticks
• rice

Directions

1. Heat a heavy dry pan over a high heat. Add the whole spices and seeds. Do not add any oil at any point. Stir them constantly as they heat. Keep going until they are genuinely black rather than dark brown. This takes about eight to ten minutes.
2. Tip them onto a cold plate immediately. Let them cool completely before grinding. Grind the charred spices to a fine powder. The powder should be jet black.
3. Sieve it to remove any coarse fragments. Preparing the fish is done while the spices cool. Cut the fish into thick steaks or large pieces. Rub them with lime juice and salt. Let them sit for twenty minutes.
4. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pot over a medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook them for eight minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and chopped chillies. Cook them for two minutes until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook them down for five minutes. Stir the ground charred spice into the base.
5. Cook it for three minutes, stirring, so it toasts into the oil. Pour in the water and crumble in the stock cubes. Bring it to a simmer and lower the heat. Simmer it uncovered for twenty-five minutes.
6. Season it with salt and taste it carefully. It should be smoky, peppery and hot. Spoon the sauce over the pieces instead. Simmer them for twelve to fifteen minutes. The fish is done when it flakes at the thickest point.
7. Take it off the heat and stir in the chopped basil. Let it stand for five minutes before serving. The sauce should be thick and glossy black. Serve it hot with boiled plantain or cassava sticks.

Technique

• The spices are charred until genuinely black, which is deliberate and is where the colour comes from.
• Stop at black and not at grey ash, which is bitter.
• Do not stir the pot once the fish is in, since it breaks apart.

Substitutions

• Ready-blended mbongo spice, sold in Cameroonian shops.
• Beef in place of fish, which is also traditional.

Variations

• Made with beef instead of fish.
• With prawns added alongside the fish.
• Made hotter, with far more chilli.

History

A Bassa dish stained jet black by mbongo spices charred over fire, then ground into a sauce for fish or beef.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mbongo tchobi?

Mbongo tchobi is a soup & stew from Cameroon: inky fish stew flavored with charred mbongo spice bark. A Bassa dish stained jet black by mbongo spices charred over fire, then ground into a sauce for fish or beef.

How long does Mbongo tchobi take to make?

Mbongo tchobi 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 Mbongo tchobi?

Yes, within limits. Ready-blended mbongo spice, sold in Cameroonian shops. Beef in place of fish, which is also traditional.

What is the most important thing to get right in Mbongo tchobi?

Heat a heavy dry pan over a high heat. Add the whole spices and seeds. Do not add any oil at any point. Stir them constantly as they heat. Keep going until they are genuinely black rather than dark brown. This takes about eight to ten minutes.