Where it comes from
Salt cod entered Equatoguinean cooking through Spanish colonisation, the lone Spanish-speaking nation of sub-Saharan Africa. The local preparation echoes Spain's bacalao a la vizcaína, a clear thread back to the colonial kitchen.
On the plate
Spoon up Equatoguinean saltfish — flakes of cod in a pale-orange tomato-pepper sauce, ruby pepper slivers, green parsley flecks. Bite: cod's concentrated ocean-savor leads, sweet pepper's sweetness following, tomato's gentle acidity, piri-piri tingling. With rice underneath, this is Malabo home cooking — Spanish-Bantu fusion at the breakfast table.
How it works
Overnight soaking is critical for desalting. Adding cod late prevents disintegration.
Variations
With ackee. With added eggs. With more chili. With added olives (Spanish). With chorizo. With more vegetables.
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓25 min active · 695 min waiting
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓- 1480 min
Soak 400 g salt cod in cold water overnight; change water 2-3 times.
- 218 min
Drain. Simmer in fresh water 15 min until tender; drain. Flake.
- 36 min
Heat 3 tbsp palm oil in heavy pan. Sauté 2 sliced onions 5 min.
- 45 min
Add 2 sliced sweet peppers, 4 minced garlic, 1 minced piri-piri; cook 4 min.
- 56 min
Add 2 chopped tomatoes, 1 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp salt; cook 5 min.
- 65 min
Add flaked salt cod; stir gently; cook 4 min to heat through.
- 71 min
Stir in 2 tbsp chopped parsley.
- 81 min
Serve hot with rice or boiled yuca.
