Succotash (national dish)

Succotash is a dish of lima beans and other vegetables sautéed together with butter and fresh herbs. The cuisine of Equatorial Guinea is one that is influenced by both the Spanish and the native tribespeople. This dish is made without meat in Guinea but crumbled bacon can be added for extra flavor.

Ingredients

Fresh lima beans 2 cups

A small yellow onion ½

Medium sweet onion (chopped) 1 (substitute with shallot)

Clove garlic 1

Sprigs fresh thyme 4

Slices bacon 3

Halved cherry tomatoes 2 cups

Fresh corn kernels 3 cups

Red wine vinegar 1 tbsp.

Fresh dill weed (chopped) 1 ½ tbsps.

Chives (chopped) 1 ½ tbsps.

Unsalted butter 2 tbsps.

Water for boiling

Salt and Pepper

Directions

Fill a saucepan with water, heat over medium high heat and bring to a boil.

Add the lima beans, a clove of garlic, half of the yellow onion, and the sprigs of fresh thyme.

Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally for twenty (0:20) minutes until the beans are tender.

Drain the beans but reserve ¾ cup of the cooking liquid.

Remove and discard the thyme, yellow onion and garlic.

Heat a little oil in a skillet and fry the slices of bacon.

Cook the bacon for about seven (0:07) minutes or until crisp.

Remove the bacon from the skillet and set aside on paper towels.

Reserve two tablespoons of the bacon fat and discard the rest.

Sauté the chopped sweet onions in the bacon fat for about five (0:05) minutes.

Add the corn kernels and cook for six (0:06) minutes over medium high heat until the kernels become tender.

Stir in the cherry tomatoes.

Add the cooked lima beans and reserved cooking liquid.

Cook for five (0:05) minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the butter, chives, dill and red wine vinegar.

Season with salt and pepper.

Chop the cooked bacon and sprinkle over the succotash.

Serve warm.

Equatorial Guinea Pescado con tres salsas (fish with Three Sauces)

Ingredients x 4

4 firm fish steaks about 200g each (eg kingfish, swordfish, mackerel, barramundi, tuna or swai)

2 garlic cloves crushed & finely diced

1 scotch bonnet minced or pounded to a paste (or 2 green chillies)

125 ml lime juice

3 tbs coconut oil or palm oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Rinse the fish then drain and pat dry with paper towels. Season the fish liberally with salt & pepper then place in a glass or ceramic baling dish. Add the garlic and chillies, then pour the lime juice over the top. Turn a few times to ensure they’re evenly coated, cover with foil, then place in the fridge to marinate for 1½ hours.

You can make the sauces while the fish is marinating.

When ready to cook the fish, heat a grill or barbecue. Drain the fish, pat dry and then brush with the palm oil and season with salt & pepper. Cook for about 4 mins per side, arrange on a plate and serve with the sauces.

Equatorial Guinea Spinach Sauce

Ingredients

2 cups spinach de-stemmed and finely chopped

50 grams smoked fish flaked

1/4 large onion chopped

2 Tablespoons peanut butter

3/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup palm oil or peanut oil with some turmeric and paprika for color

1 scotch bonnet chili left whole but scored (or 2 green chilies)

Instructions

Fry the onion in a little of the palm oil until softened.

Mix the peanut butter with the water and add to the pot along with the other ingredients.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 mins or until well thickened.

Add the palm oil, remove the chillies and cook for a further 10 mins.

Equatorial Guinea Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

2 cups chicken stock

½ onion diced

Pinch oregano

2 cloves garlic minced

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

Pinch cayenne pepper

1 cup peanut butter

½ habanero chili pounded to a paste (or 1 green chili)

2 bay leaves

Salt & pepper to taste

3 Tablespoons oil

Instructions

Fry the onion and garlic in the oil until soft. Pound the tomato and chili together into a paste and add to the pan. Fry for a few minutes then add all the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 30 mins or until desired consistency is reached.

Equatorial Guinea Avocado Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup beef stock

1/2 cup water

½ chili pounded to a paste

½ tomato chopped

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 large avocado thinly sliced

2 Tablespoons peanut butter

Instructions

Bring the stock to a boil and add all the ingredients except the peanut butter. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 mins. Extract a few tablespoons of the broth, mix with the peanut butter and return to the pot. Cook for a further 10 mins, and serve warm

Hot Curried Okra

Ingredients 4-6

1 tsp red palm oil

1 onion, chopped

1 habanero pepper, slit

1 tsp curry

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 lb sliced okra

water, to cover

Directions:

If you can get fresh okra, fantastic. If not, thaw a bag of okra.

Heat up the red palm oil in a medium pot. Add the chopped onion and habanero pepper.

Toss in the curry and chili powder, stir, and keep on cooking.

When the onions are soft and beginning to brown, add the thawed okra (mine gave off a LOT of thick juices when it thawed, I just drained them off).

Next, splash on the water – stop when you get about an inch from the top of the okra. Season with salt and pepper.

Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes (or up to 45 minutes – which, I’ve heard, can cook out okra’s thick ooze). The mixture will be thick and viscous (a.k.a. gooey) so serve with a slotted spoon. Also – eat with rice or other veggies to disperse some of the goo. The flavor is wonderful.

Buñuelos de Plátano (Banana Fritters)

Ingredients

2 bananas

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp dried yeast

cooking oil

1/3 cup powdered sugar

Directions

Peel and mashed bananas. Mix in sugar and then flour and yeast. Pure into a smooth paste, adding water if needed.

Heat abundant oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Spoon banana mixture onto the oil and fry until golden, turn and repeat. Dry on paper towels. Place powdered sugar in a paper bag. Add the fritters and gently shake. Alternatively, sprinkle powdered sugar on the fritters.