Telo

Ingredients

Cassava

• 1 kgcassava, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 teaspoonsalt, for the boiling water
• neutral oil, for frying

Bakkeljauw

• 400 gsalted dried cod
• 1large onion, sliced
• 2tomatoes, chopped
• 2garlic cloves, sliced
• 1madame jeanette chilli, whole
• 2 tablespoonsoil
• black pepper

To serve

• lime wedges
• sliced raw onion
• hot pepper sauce

Directions

1. Peel away both the brown skin and the pink layer under it. Cut out the woody core running down the centre. Never eat cassava raw at any stage. Rinse the surface salt off the fish under running water. Put it in a large bowl and cover it deeply with cold water.
2. Leave it in the refrigerator for at least twenty-four hours. Thick pieces may need a second day of soaking. Taste a small flake after soaking to check the salt. It should taste seasoned rather than harshly salty.
3. Cut the peeled root into chunks about six centimetres long. Put the pieces in a pan and cover them with cold water. Add the salt and bring it up to the boil. Simmer them for about fifteen minutes. They should be tender enough for a knife to slide in. Drain them thoroughly and let them steam dry. Cooking the bakkeljauw takes about fifteen minutes.
4. Drain the soaked cod and put it in a pan of fresh water. Bring it to a simmer and cook it for ten minutes. Drain it and let it cool enough to handle. Flake the flesh off the skin and bones. Check carefully for small bones as you go. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the onion until it is soft and translucent.
5. Add the garlic and cook it for one more minute. Stir in the tomatoes and let them break down. Add the flaked fish and turn it through everything. Drop in the whole madame jeanette chilli. Madame jeanette is very hot and closely related to the habanero.
6. Grind in black pepper and cook it for five minutes. Taste it before adding any salt at all. The cod usually brings enough on its own. Pour oil into a deep pan to a depth of five centimetres. Never fill a pan more than halfway with oil.
7. Heat it to 180C and check it with a thermometer. They will spit if any water is left on them. Fry them in batches of six or seven pieces. Turn them as they colour to brown them evenly. They need about five minutes to go golden and crisp.
8. Lift them onto a wire rack rather than kitchen paper. Salt them lightly while they are still hot. Serving it is done immediately and informally. Pile the fried cassava onto a plate or into paper. Spoon the bakkeljauw over or beside it. Add raw onion rings and lime wedges. Put hot pepper sauce on the table. Fry the cassava to order because it softens as it cools.

Technique

• Bakkeljauw is the Surinamese and Dutch name for salted dried cod, from the Portuguese bacalhau.
• It is sold in Caribbean and Portuguese shops, sometimes already partly desalted, in which case the soaking time is shorter.

Substitutions

• Sweet potato or plantain can be fried the same way if cassava is unavailable.
• Any salted white fish works in place of cod, and some shops sell salted pollock more cheaply.

Variations

• Telo is also served with fried egg or with chicken instead of fish.
• Some cooks fry the cassava without boiling it first, which gives a harder result.
• A version with tomato-heavy sauce and no chilli is made for children.

History

Fried cassava served with salted fish, the Surinamese answer to chips.

Frequently asked questions

What is Telo?

Telo is a snack from Suriname: fried cassava chunks with salted fish bakkeljauw. Fried cassava served with salted fish, the Surinamese answer to chips.

How long does Telo take to make?

Telo takes 20 minutes plus soaking the fish of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Telo?

Yes, within limits. Sweet potato or plantain can be fried the same way if cassava is unavailable. Any salted white fish works in place of cod, and some shops sell salted pollock more cheaply.

What is the most important thing to get right in Telo?

Peel away both the brown skin and the pink layer under it. Cut out the woody core running down the centre. Never eat cassava raw at any stage. Rinse the surface salt off the fish under running water. Put it in a large bowl and cover it deeply with cold water.