Mboto à l'oseille (Fish with Sorrel)

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Mboto à l'oseille (Fish with Sorrel)

Mboto à l'oseille (Fish with Sorrel) is a traditional Congolese recipe for a classic dish of fried fish served in a sauce make from tomatoes, hot chillies, and onion which is flavoured with sorrel leaves. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Congolese version of: Fish with Sorrel (Mboto à l'oseille).

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

30 minutes

Total Time:

50 minutes

Serves:

Rating:

Tags : Chilli Recipes Vegetable Recipes Congo Recipes

This is a traditional dish of the Congo region. Traditionally it's made with Mboto Distichodus lusosso (Long Nosed Distichodus) an herbivorous fish of the Congo basin. Like many African fish it's often smoked for preservation. The 'sorrel' referred to here are the leaves of hibiscus, Hibiscus sabdiffera though Erropean sorrel, Rumex spp leaves could be substituted at a pinch.

Ingredients:

1 fish (a decent white fish like tilapia will substitute), cleaned and cut into serving-size steaks
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 chilli pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped
1 small can tomato paste
1 bunch fresh sorrel leaves
1 bayleaf
grated nutmeg, black pepper and salt, to taste
oil to fry

Method:

Heat about 4 tbsp oil in a deep frying pan. Fry the fish in this oil until done on both sides then set aside.

Add about 3 tbsp oil to a saucepan. Use this to fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes then add the chilli, tomatoes and tomato paste. Add just enough water to make a smooth sauce and bring to a gentle boil.

Put the fish in the sauce then add the sorrel leaves, bay leaf and season with the nutmeg, black pepper and salt. Allow to simmer gently for about 15 minutes then serve with boiled plantains or on a bed of rice.