Recipes
Zoe Adjonyoh's Grilled Sardines In Spiced Roasted Tomato Sauce
Canned sardines or pilchards in tomato sauce cooked with chalé sauce and served with rice or kenkey was an easy dish that my dad frequently rustled up when we were growing up and was one of the first dishes on my menu when I started putting on supper clubs—just the way dad used to make it. I still serve this dish today but slightly updated with a couple of twists, using fresh sardines rather than canned and a roasted fresh tomato sauce. It’s just as simple and delicious.
Makes 4 servings
Image Credits
Photo by Nassima Rothacker
ingredients
- ½ red onion, sliced
- 4 large ripe tomatoes, quartered
- 2.5 centimeter (1-inch) piece fresh root ginger, grated (unpeeled if organic)
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon extra-hot chili powder
- ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- 100 milliliters (3½ fluid ounces) good-quality vegetable or chicken stock
- ½ tablespoon tomato purée
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus extra to season
- 12 whole fresh sardines, scaled, gutted, and washed
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- Ball of Ga kenkey, to serve
method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- Place all the ingredients except the sardines, lemon juice, oil, and kenkey in a bowl and toss together. Spread out on the lined baking tray and roast for 25 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the oven and place the sardines on top. Drizzle with the lemon juice and olive oil, and season with an extra pinch of sea salt. Return to the oven and cook for a further 15 to 20 minutes until the sardines are cooked through.
- Meanwhile, prepare the kenkey. Add to a saucepan of boiling water, then reduce the heat slightly and leave to cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until you can easily insert a fork. Drain and transfer the kenkey to a board or plate. When cool enough to handle, remove the corn cob leaf wrapping, then slice into 8 discs—lots of steam will be released, so be careful.
- To serve, lift the cooked sardines gently from the tray to keep them whole for presentation. Place 2 discs of kenkey in the centre of each plate, then ladle over a large spoonful of the roasted tomato sauce and carefully layer 3 sardines on top, making sure they remain intact.
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