Ghanaian

Shito

“A dark, intensely savoury black chilli oil-paste cooked low and slow with dried fish, ground prawns, onion, ginger and tomato until almost black. Ghana's essential condiment, keeping for weeks and spooned onto everything from kenkey to rice.”

Medium25 min

Where it comes from

Shito is Ghana's dark, deeply savoury pepper sauce, fried slow from dried fish, prawns, chili and spice in oil until almost black. A spoonful lifts countless dishes, and a jar keeps for months — the country's all-purpose heat.

On the plate

Profoundly umami and smoky, with the funk of dried fish and prawn carried by glossy oil and a deep, lingering chilli heat. It is salty, slightly bitter from the long cook, and intensely concentrated. A teaspoon transforms a plate of plain kenkey or rice.

How it works

Slowly frying the aromatics and ground seafood in plenty of oil drives off all water and develops deep Maillard browning, concentrating flavour and darkening the paste. The oil layer preserves it by sealing out air.

Variations

with extra dried prawns, vegetarian (no fish) version, with fresh tomato base, mild or extra-hot, chunky or smooth

On the Palate

Ingredients

Serves 20

How it's made

8 steps · Show ↓

70 min active

1
8 min
Blend onion, ginger, garlic and tomato into a smooth paste.
2
6 min
Grind the dried fish, dried prawns and crayfish to a coarse powder.
3
3 min
Heat a generous amount of oil in a heavy pot until shimmering.
4
12 min
Fry the blended onion paste, stirring, until the moisture cooks off and it darkens.
5
4 min
Stir in dried chilli powder and the ground seafood and lower the heat.
6
35 min
Cook very gently, stirring almost constantly, for 30 to 40 minutes.
7
5 min
Continue until the paste turns deep brown-black and oil rises to the top.
8
10 min
Cool completely, then store in a sterilised jar under a layer of oil.