Akpessi is a typical dish from Côte d’Ivoire. It is a eggplant stew with smoked fish that is generally eaten with boiled yam, plantain or yuca. The akpessi sauce can easily be a vegan option if you simply remove the fish and /or replace it with mushrooms. the recipe below is for 2 but easy to adjust. I used the Thai Eggplant because they ressemble a lot the one used back in Côte d’Ivoire, but no worries you can use any eggplant. The Thai eggplant are really small and if you want to replace them with the globe or Chinese eggplant (big purple eggplant) . One of them can easily replace the 6 eggplants used in the recipe. Another typical Ivorian dish That I love is the Chicken Kedjenou and the recipe is already on my blog.

Ingredients for 2

• 1 Mackerel
• 6 Thai Eggplant
• 4 Plantains
• 1 Onion
• 1 Tomato
• 4 Garlic cloves
• 4 tbsp. red Palm oil
• 1 Laurel leaf
• 1 Habanero pepper (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Black Pepper
• 1/2 Seasoning cube

 

Instruction

Bake the fish in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes.

When the fish is cooked, remove the bones, skin and head.

Keep the flesh on the side.

Cut the eggplants’ stems

Cut the onion and tomato in half. It will speed up the cooking process.

Add them to a pot with the garlic, laurel leaf, habanero pepper.

Add 2 cups of water and cook for 15 minutes or until vegetables are really soft.

In the meantime cut your plantains in half, remove the skin.

Submerge your plantain with water and boil them until they are soft.

Blend them but not to make a smooth paste.

Save the liquid used to boil your vegetables.

Add palm oil to a pot with the blended vegetables.

Add the veggie broth with the seasonings.

Add the fish and cook at low heat for 5 minutes.

Your plantains should be ready in the meantime.

Serve and Enjoy!

Bon Appétit……..