Monique’s Caldou with Fonio and Sorrel-Okra Relish

© Adam Bartos

Grains and fish with a delectable sauce.

Chef Pierre Thiam’s much awaited cookbook, Simply West African, will be out in September 2023. The book is full of easy recipes and is his first collaboration with his wife Lisa Katayama.

Below, we share one of Chef Pierre’s favourite recipes from his previous cookbook, The Fonio Cookbook: An Ancient Grain Rediscovered. `Fonio is an ancient grain native to West Africa. Highly nutritious and gluten-free, fonio is also easy to cook and can be used in place of other grains such as quinoa. Caldou is a typical fish dish usually served with rice and spicy sauces and this elevated version is ideal for a weekday evening.

Chef Pierre Thiam is a Senegal-raised, New York City-based chef, author, restaurateur, social entrepreneur & culinary ambassador.

He is best known for bringing West African cuisine to the global fine-dining world. He is the executive chef and co-founder of Teranga, a fine-casual food chain from New York City that introduces healthy, casual fare directly sourced from farmers in West Africa. Pierre is also the Executive Chef of the award-winning restaurant Nok by Alara in Lagos, Nigeria, and the Signature Chef of the five-star Pullman Hotel in Dakar, Senegal. His company Yolélé advocates for smallholder farmers in the Sahel by opening new markets for crops grown in Africa.

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Ingredients

Caldou with Fonio

• 2 cups water or fish broth

• ½ onion, coarsely chopped

• 2 tablespoons peeled and chopped tomato

• ¼ cup lime juice

• 4 sea bass fillets (4 to 6 ounces each)

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce

• 1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 4 cups cooked fonio

• 1 cup Sorrel-Okra Relish

Sorrel-Okra Relish (Baguedj)

Makes about one cup

• Juice of 1 lime (optional)

• 1 pound sorrel or spinach, trimmed

• 5 whole okra pods, trimmed

• Fish sauce (optional)

“My Uncle Omi’s wife, Monique Diémé, makes the best caldou; I always make it a point to stop by their house for my fix whenever I am in Dakar. Monique grew up in the village of Coubalan, near the town of Tobor, about 30 minutes north of Ziguinchor, on the banks of the Casamance River. Caldou has its Portuguese-sounding name because this part of Senegal neighbors Guinea Bissau, a former Portuguese colony.

Caldou is a light fish dish, usually made with carp or sea bream in Senegal, although you can use sea bass or snapper, which are easier to find in the U.S. The fish is simply poached in a broth with lime, tomato, and okra, and often served with a side of baguedj, a foamy-looking relish of puréed sorrel leaves and okra. Monique serves her caldou with fonio, to the delight of Uncle O and their two children, JB and Coura.

At my restaurant, I like to present this caldou, inspired by Monique’s recipe. Basically, it’s the same flavors presented in a more elegant way with the sauces.’

Caldou with Fonio

1. In a large skillet, bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes, until tomatoes are incorporated. Stir in the lime juice.

2. Gently place the fish on the simmering broth. Drizzle with the fish sauce and add the Scotch bonnet. Simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, loosely covered, until the fillets are cooked through. Transfer the fish to a platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and set aside to keep warm. Remove the Scotch bonnet from the broth and discard.

3. In a blender, blend the cooking broth, tomatoes, and onions until you get a smooth, bright orange sauce. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

4. To serve, place the fonio in the center of each of four plates. Generously pour the sauce around the fonio. Place a fillet on the fonio and top with a generous dollop of the relish.

Sorrel-Okra Relish (Baguedj)

Baguedj can be kept in a tightly closed jar, refrigerated, for 2 to 3 days.

1.  Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. If using spinach, add the lime juice. Add the sorrel or spinach leaves. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring after about 2 minutes, until the leaves are cooked through and very soft. (The leaves will change color dramatically.) Drain well, let cool slightly, and squeeze out any excess water.

2. Boil the okra in enough salted water to cover for about 5 minutes, until soft. Drain well.

3. Put the leaves and okra in a food processor or blender. Process or blend until light and foamy. Add salt or fish sauce to taste.

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