Metemgee recipe

Ground provisions simmered down in coconut milk until the liquid turns to a thick gravy, with steamed duff dumplings resting on top and flaked salt fish over the lot.

1 hour and 30 minutesmedium12 ingredients

Ingredients

• 500 g cassava
• 300 g eddoes
• 800 ml coconut milk
• 2 plantains
• 300 g sweet potato
• 250 g flour
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 250 g salted fish
• 1 onion
• 3 clove garlic
• 1 bunch thyme
• 2 wiri wiri pepper

How to make Metemgee

1. Cover 250 g of salted fish with water, boil it, drain, and repeat once more to pull the salt out. Flake it and set it aside.
2. Make the duff: rub 250 g of flour with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and a knob of butter, add water to a soft dough, knead smooth and rest it 15 minutes. Shape into 6 flat rounds.
3. Bring 800 ml of coconut milk and 400 ml of water to a boil with 1 sliced onion, 3 garlic cloves, a sprig of thyme and 2 whole wiri wiri peppers.
4. Add 300 g of cassava and 300 g of eddoes in large chunks, the two that take longest, and boil 10 minutes.
5. Add 300 g of sweet potato and 2 plantains cut into thick pieces.
6. Lay the duff rounds on top of the provisions, cover tightly and steam 20 to 25 minutes. The duff must sit above the liquid, not boil in it, or it turns to paste.
7. Uncover and let the coconut milk reduce to a thick gravy that coats the provisions. Metemgee is not a soup; if there is broth left, keep going.
8. Scatter the flaked salt fish over the pot, lift out the whole peppers and serve straight from the pot with the duff.

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