Salone-style Kibbeh is a traditional Sierra Leonean recipe for a classic rissole of millet, vegetables and fish with hot chilli that are breaded and fried to finish. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Sierra Leonean version of: Salone-style Kibbeh.
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Kibbeh are Lebanese-style rissoles that are also a popular snack and street food in Sierra Leone (colloquially known as 'Salone').
Ingredients:
250g (2 cups) millet
4 red habaneoro chillies
1 onion, finely chopped
4 carrots, diced
6 French beans, diced
2 tbsp all purpose seasoning
2 Maggi cubes
1 tsp salt
500ml (2 cups) oil
4 bonnies or fresh sardines, cleaned and scaled with fins removed
black pepper
Method:
Place the millet in a bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover. Set aside to soak.
Remove the heads and backbones from the fish then place the meat in a bowl and season with 1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning, 1 tsp black pepper and a generous pinch of salt. Mix well to combine. Place in a pot and steam in its own juices for 5 minutes.
Pour the millet and its soaking water into a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until soft and broken up. Take off the heat and set aside to cool. Wash the millet with your hands and remove any stones then drain in a colander. Set aside to dry.
Take the steamed fish off the heat and transfer to a bowl. Place the chillies in a mortar and pound to a paste. Add the onion and pound in with the chillies.
Transfer the millet to a mixing bowl and crumble in a Maggi cube to season. Add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of the all-purpose seasoning. Now add 2 tbsp of the onion and chilli mix and stir well to combine. Mix the ingredients together with your hands.
Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan, add the carrots and French beans and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add 1 tbsp oil to a pan and use to fry 2 tbsp of the onion and pepper mix with a crumbled maggi cube, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp all-purpose seasoning. Stir in the fish, break into pieces and fry everything for 2 minutes.
Return the vegetables to the pan and mix to combine. Cover the pan and sweat everything down for 3 minutes then transfer to a plate and allow to cool until it can be handled.
Take a handful of the millet mixture and flatten against your palm. Now take a half teaspoon of the fish and vegetable mix and sit in the centre of the millet then mould the millet mix around it. Transfer the kibbeh to a plate as you shape the next one. Continue until all the mixtures have been used up.
Heat the remaining oil in a wok or deep pan. Once hot, carefully drop in the kibbeh a little at a time (do not over-crowd) and cook, turning occasionally, until nicely coloured all over and cooked through (about 3 minutes). Drain on kitchen paper as you cook the next batch.
Serve warm, accompanied by your favourite hot pepper sauce.
