Banku with Tilapia

Mix the fermented corn dough and cassava dough together in a large bowl. Gradually add one cup of water, stirring until you have a smooth, lump-free slurry. The mixture should be pourable but not watery, like thick pancake batter.

Pour the dough slurry into a heavy-bottomed pot and place over medium heat. Begin stirring continuously with a strong wooden spoon or banku stick. As the mixture heats, it will gradually thicken and become increasingly difficult to stir.

Continue cooking and stirring vigorously for twenty to twenty-five minutes, adding splashes of water as needed to prevent the banku from becoming too stiff. The finished banku should be smooth, elastic, and pull cleanly away from the sides of the pot.

Wet your hands and shape the hot banku into smooth round balls, about the size of a tennis ball. Place each ball in a small bowl to maintain its round shape. Cover with a damp cloth to keep warm while you prepare the fish and pepper sauce.

Season the scored whole tilapia with salt inside and out, rubbing it into the cuts. Grill over hot charcoal for seven to eight minutes per side, brushing with oil regularly, until the skin is crispy, charred in spots, and the flesh flakes easily from the bone.

Prepare the pepper sauce by blending tomatoes, scotch bonnet peppers, onion, and garlic into a coarse paste. Fry this paste in vegetable oil over medium heat for fifteen minutes, stirring frequently, until the raw flavour cooks out and the oil floats on top.

Serve each plate with a ball of banku, a whole grilled tilapia, and a generous portion of the pepper sauce on the side. Diners tear off pieces of banku with their right hand and use them to pick up pieces of fish and scoop up the spicy pepper sauce.