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Calamar croustillant is a traditional seafood dish originating from Mauritius. It consists of crispy-fried squid pieces. The dish is made with a combination of squid rings, flour, breadcrumbs, eggs, crushed garlic paste, and cornstarch. The squid rings are marinated in salt, pepper, and crushed garlic paste, then dipped in eggs and rolled in a mix of flour, cornstarch, and breadcrumbs before being fried in hot oil until golden.
Calamar croustillant is traditionally served as an appetizer with garlic mayonnaise or hot chili sauce on the side.
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Samak mashwi is an Egyptian dish that is also quite popular in Lebanon. It consists of a whole baked fish which is then lavishly garnished with onion, garlic, herbs, spices,and lemon slices. Before baking, the fish should be cleaned, and its head is left untouched apart from the eyes, which should be removed.
It is typically seasoned with salt and olive oil. Samak mashwi is especially popular as a party dish, prepared for various social events and during Ramadan.
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This hearty stew is commonly enjoyed in São Tomé e Príncipe and Angola. Though it is typically prepared with fresh or dry fish and shrimps, when it goes under the name calulu de peixe, some versions can occasionally employ meat.
Additional ingredients include okra, onions, tomatoes, eggplants, and finely chopped greens such as sweet potato leaves or cassava leaves. Calulu is traditionally accompanied by rice or funje — a creamy cassava porridge.
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This traditional combination of rice and fish is typically prepared with white fish such as sea bass or red snapper. The fish is fried or baked separately, while the rice is cooked in a special fish broth that is prepared with fried onions and bahārāt - a traditional spice blend that usually employs allspice, peppercorns, cassia, coriander, cardamom, cumin, and chili peppers or paprika.
The dish is traditionally served on one plate, topped with lightly toasted pine nuts and slivered almonds. If desired, a special sauce can be served on the side.
Thieboudienne is the national dish of Senegal, an aromatic combination of fish, vegetables, and rice in a hearty tomato sauce flavored with garlic and chili. Fish, vegetables, and rice are usually served separately, with a few lime wedges on the side, used for squeezing the juice over fish.
It is believed that the dish was invented in the city of St. Louis in the 19th century.
VARIATIONS OF Thieboudienne
MOST ICONIC Thieboudienne
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Moroccan stuffed sardines or sardine mzeouej (married sardines) is a traditional fish dish. The dish is usually made by butterflying sardine fillets and stuffing them with chermoula, a concoction made with a combination of garlic, paprika, hot peppers, cumin, salt, olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, and coriander.
The sardines are rubbed with chermoula, coated with flour, and fried in hot oil on both sides. Once done, the fried stuffed sardines are served warm or at room temperature, often accompanied by lemon wedges, harissa, or fresh salads based on tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions.
The intricately named point and kill is a traditional soup that's served in most restaurants and bars. It's made with a combination of catfish, pepper soup spices, onions, utazi leaves, fish seasoning, ground crayfish, seasoning cubes, paprika, salt, and ground pepper.
The soup is usually prepared in a small pot – the catfish comes first, followed by salt, seasonings, crayfish, pepper, and water. Once done, the soup is usually served as it is or as a side dish. It can be accompanied by boiled plantains, potatoes, or yams.
Kusksi bil hoot is a traditional dish using steamed couscous and fried firm-fleshed fish (e.g. grouper) as the main ingredients. Before frying, the fish is usually marinated in a combination of garlic, lemon juice, hot peppers, celery, olive oil, and cumin, while couscous is steamed with the addition of stock made from onions, tomatoes, parsley, and fish heads.
Couscous and fried fish are then combined with a sauce consisting of tomatoes and fried vegetables such as potatoes, squash, bell peppers, chickpeas, aubergines, and onions. Once prepared, kusksi bil hoot is typically served in a communal dish so everyone can feast from the same plate.
Ladob is a Seychellois dish based on plantains, breadfruit, and cassava. It can be prepared in sweet or savory versions. The dessert version is prepared by boiling plantains or cassava in coconut milk, along with nutmeg, vanilla, and sugar as flavorings.
When properly made, the dessert has a tender and creamy texture. The savory version uses salted fish boiled in coconut milk with plaintains, cassava, nutmeg, and salt. Ladob is very popular throughout the island, and it is served either hot or cold.
Mchuzi wa samaki is a Swahili dish consisting of fish that is cooked in a combination of onions, oil, garlic, curry powder, tomatoes, water, and lemon juice. The dish is often additionally flavored with freshly chopped coriander. After it has been properly prepared, mchuzi wa samaki is typically served hot with fluffy white rice on the side, ideally complementing the spicy, full-bodied sauce.
As for the fish, any white fish will do – be it sea bass, cod, or red snapper.
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