Fish Banga
Banga de Pescado (BAHN-gah deh pehs-KAH-doh)
Fish in Palm Fruit Sauce
Whole fish simmered in a thick, fiery palm fruit extract sauce loaded with aromatic spices and scotch bonnet peppers. The palm fruit creates an incomparably rich, orange-red gravy.
Nutrition & Info
Allergen Warnings
Equipment Needed
Instructions
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1
Season the whole fish inside and out with salt, ground cameroon pepper, and minced garlic. Make three diagonal cuts on each side of the fish for flavor penetration.
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2
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the palm fruit extract and bring to a simmer. Cook for ten minutes, stirring, until the oil separates slightly.
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3
Add the diced onions and chopped tomatoes to the palm fruit sauce. Cook for fifteen minutes until the vegetables soften and meld into the sauce.
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4
Crush the uziza seeds in a mortar and pestle and add to the pot along with the ground crayfish and seasoning cubes. Stir well and simmer five more minutes.
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5
Carefully lower the seasoned fish into the simmering sauce. Add the whole scotch bonnet peppers on top. Cover and cook on low heat for twenty-five minutes.
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6
Baste the fish occasionally with the sauce, being careful not to break it apart. The sauce should thicken and cling to the fish.
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7
Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve with pounded yam, boiled plantains, or steamed rice.
Did You Know?
Palm fruit extract is made by boiling and pounding the red fruits of the oil palm tree, then straining out the fiber to create a rich, creamy concentrate.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- large pot
- mortar and pestle
- sieve
- wooden spoon
The Story Behind Fish Banga
Fish Banga is a quintessential Central African dish that showcases the culinary importance of the oil palm tree. In Equatorial Guinea, the dish is prepared with the freshest catch from the Atlantic coast, cooked in palm fruit extract that has been laboriously prepared from scratch. The process of extracting the cream from palm fruits is a communal activity, often done by groups of women who share both the work and the final product. This dish connects Equatorial Guinea to the broader palm belt cooking tradition stretching from Nigeria to Angola.
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