Whole grilled fish served with a vibrant spread of boiled cassava, sweet potato, plantain, and a tangy onion-vinegar relish. The quintessential Angolan seaside feast.
Ingredients
1 whole tilapia or red snapper (about 1kg)
2 cassava roots, peeled and cut
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut
2 ripe plantains
3 onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 tbsp palm oil
Juice of 2 lemons
Salt and pepper
Hot pepper flakes
Instructions
1Score the fish on both sides. Rub with lemon juice, salt, pepper, and palm oil. Rest 15 minutes.
2Boil cassava and sweet potatoes in salted water until tender, about 25 minutes. Boil plantains separately for 10 minutes.
3Make the relish: mix sliced onions with vinegar, a pinch of salt, and hot pepper flakes.
4Grill the fish over medium-high heat, 6-7 minutes per side until skin is crispy and flesh flakes.
5Arrange grilled fish on a large platter surrounded by cassava, sweet potato, and plantain.
6Serve with the onion-vinegar relish and a small dish of palm oil for dipping.
Did You Know?
Mufete is to Luanda what a fish fry is to the American South — the ultimate communal outdoor meal.