🍽️ Cuisine
Bouillon d'Awara
Awara Palm Fruit Stew
Ingredients: 200g awara paste (or substitute palm fruit paste), 150g smoked pork, 150g smoked chicken, 100g shrimp, 1 onion (diced), 4 garlic cloves (minced), 2 green onions (chopped), 1 Scotch bonnet pepper (whole), 200g cassava (peeled, cubed), 1 plantain (sliced), 500ml chicken stock, 5g fresh thyme, Salt to taste.
Preparation: Cut smoked meats into chunks. In a large pot, sauté onion and garlic until fragrant. Add smoked meats and brown lightly. Pour in stock and bring to simmer. Add cassava and cook 15 minutes. Meanwhile, dissolve awara paste in warm water to create a smooth, thick liquid. Add to the pot along with plantain, thyme, and whole Scotch bonnet. Simmer 20 minutes until vegetables are tender and sauce thickens to a rich, orange consistency. Add shrimp in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Remove Scotch bonnet. Serve in deep bowls with the orange broth, making sure each serving has a variety of meats and vegetables.
💡 Authentic awara paste can be found frozen in specialty markets. The fruit's unique flavor is irreplaceable, but red palm oil can approximate the color if not the taste.
Rougail de Saucisse
Sausage in Spiced Tomato Sauce
Ingredients: 300g mixed sausages (smoked and fresh), 15ml vegetable oil, 1 onion (sliced), 3 garlic cloves (minced), 20g ginger (grated), 4 tomatoes (chopped), 1 Scotch bonnet (seeded and minced), 5g turmeric, 5g fresh thyme leaves, Salt and pepper to taste, Fresh parsley for garnish.
Preparation: Score sausages and blanch in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and slice into thick rounds. Heat oil and brown sausage pieces on all sides. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, sauté onion until golden. Add garlic, ginger, and Scotch bonnet, cooking 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and turmeric, simmering until tomatoes break down into a thick sauce, about 15 minutes. Return sausages to the pan, add thyme, and simmer together for 10 minutes until flavors meld and sauce clings to sausages. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over white rice, garnished with fresh parsley.
💡 The sauce should be thick and jammy, coating the sausages well. Add a splash of water if it reduces too quickly.
Gâteau de Manioc
Cassava Cake
Ingredients: 300g cassava (peeled and finely grated), 100g sugar, 100ml coconut milk, 50g butter (melted), 1 egg, 5ml vanilla extract, 3g cinnamon, 2g nutmeg, Pinch of salt, Butter for greasing.
Preparation: Preheat oven to 180°C. Squeeze excess moisture from grated cassava using a clean cloth—this is important for texture. In a bowl, combine cassava, sugar, coconut milk, melted butter, egg, vanilla, spices, and salt. Mix until well combined. The mixture will be thick and sticky. Pour into a greased 20cm baking dish, pressing down to create an even layer about 3cm thick. Bake for 45-50 minutes until top is golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean. The edges should be slightly caramelized. Let cool for 20 minutes—the texture firms up as it cools. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into squares or diamonds.
💡 Fresh cassava must be used—frozen doesn't achieve the right texture. Grate it finely; coarse grating results in a grainy cake.
