African Food and Art

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Cameroon Smoked Bonga Fish Stew

Fresh bonga fish is used in cooking stews and fried fish recipes. Some boil the fresh bonga fish and use it as a side dish for local recipes. Other African home chefs buy bonga fish roasted, salted and dried, or smoked bonga fish. 

It is estimated that nearly 70 percent of the total fish supply in West Africa is marketed in the smoked or dried forms. 

Bonga fish is caught in the coastal and estuarine waters, and lagoons along West Africa from Senegal to Cameroon. During the dry season it is caught far inland when salt water penetrates the rivers.

 

Making Cameroon Smoked Bonga Fish Stew 


Cooking fish in Cameroon Africa.
Cooking fish in Cameroon Africa.

Cameroon in West Africa, bonga fish is a popular fish to use in recipes, bonga is usually smoked with lots of fresh vegetables. 


Prep time: 15 min 

Cook time: 20 min 

Total time: 35 min 


Ingredients 

4 smoked bongas or any smoked fish 

2 green plantains cut in quarters 

2 medium onions, chopped 

2 green peppers, chopped 

2 large tomatoes, diced 

¼ cup palm oil 

2 dried basil leaves 

2 cups vegetable broth 

Pepper to taste 



Directions 

In a large pot heat palm oil, add onions and peppers saute 3 minutes. Add all ingredients into a large pot and simmer 20 minutes. Serve over rice or as a stew. 


Did you know? Cameroon is well known for its land use diversity, which enables farmers to grow a very large number of crops. Pineapples farms in Cameroon are especially productive exports. 


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