The recipe presented below is a West African fish recipe, originating from the former French colony of Côte d'Ivorie (Ivory Coast). In effect this is a layered pie made from fish that shows some of the more surprising aspects of African foods.

Ingredients:

• 400g onions, finely chopped
• 1 tsp red chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 120ml groundnut oil
• 900g pumpkin (or butternut squash), cut into 3cm cubes
• 1.2kg halibut, filleted
• 240ml coconut, peeled and cut into 2.5cm strips
• 350g white rice
• 1.8l water + water from the coconut
• 5 large, ripe, tomatoes, finely chopped

Preparation:

In a large heavy-lidded casserole dish fry the onions, chilli flakes, salt and black pepper in the groundnut oil until the onions are soft, but not browned. Add the pumpkin cubes over the onions then cut the halibut into 2cm slices and carefully lay these over the pumpkin. Lay the coconut over the fish and sprinkle with salt. Combine the water, water from the coconut and the tomatoes and pour into the pot carefully (do not disturb the arrangement of the contents). Cover tightly and allow to cook gently for 30 minutes until the rice, fish and vegetables are tender and the liquid is absorbed. Serve directly from the casserole dish.

If possible, cut sections and serve as they emerge so that the dish shows the various layers. Serve with fried plantains, yams or rice and boiled greens.

The original version of this recipe is derived from the Celtnet African recipes site.