bay leaf • black pepper • chile pepper • fish • garlic • nutmeg • oil • onion • sorrel leaves • tomato • tomato paste
Fish with Sorrel
Mboto à l’oseille (in French) or Mboto with sorrel, is a common dish in Central Africa. Mboto is the Lingala name for a freshwater fish (evidently a species of Distichodus) commonly eaten in the Congo region. It is often smoked for preservation. Outside of Africa, use any freshwater in this recipe. Sorrel, or Ngai-ngai in the Lingala language, is often cooked as a kind of greens. Sorrel is mildly acidic with a tangy, tart flavor akin to lemon or sour green apple. Larger leaves, which are older and tougher, should be cooked thoroughly, but smaller, younger leaves can be briefly warmed or used as a garnish.
Fish with Sorrel Recipe
Fish in a tangy, tart sorrel sauce.
Ingredients
oil for pan frying, (red palm oil or any cooking oil)
2 lbs fish, cleaned and cut into serving sized pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 chile pepper, cleaned and chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
¾ cup tomato paste
1 bunch of fresh sorrel leaves
1 bay leaf
nutmeg, grated (to taste)
black pepper
salt
Instructions
1
Heat a few spoonfuls of oil in a skillet. Fry fish in oil on both sides until done. Set aside.
2
Heat a few spoonfuls of oil in a saucepan. Fry the onion and garlic, then add the chile pepper, tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir in enough water to make a smooth sauce. Heat to a slow boil.
3
Pour the sauce over the fish (or put the fish in the sauce). Add the sorrel leaves, bay leaf, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt. Simmer gently for ten or twenty minutes.
Ingredients
oil for pan frying, (red palm oil or any cooking oil)
2 lbs fish, cleaned and cut into serving sized pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 chile pepper, cleaned and chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
¾ cup tomato paste
1 bunch of fresh sorrel leaves
1 bay leaf
nutmeg, grated (to taste)
black pepper
salt
Directions
1
Heat a few spoonfuls of oil in a skillet. Fry fish in oil on both sides until done. Set aside.
2
Heat a few spoonfuls of oil in a saucepan. Fry the onion and garlic, then add the chile pepper, tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir in enough water to make a smooth sauce. Heat to a slow boil.
3
Pour the sauce over the fish (or put the fish in the sauce). Add the sorrel leaves, bay leaf, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt. Simmer gently for ten or twenty minutes.