African Food and Art

Thank you to our latest donor, Tony. Thank you, Tony. We were able to purchase three new stainless steel pots to continue our cooking and teaching heritage.

Perfect Salted Fish Directions Step by Step

Follow these steps to make perfect quality salted and fish.

Salting is a perfect way of preserving fish. Salting is the preservation of food with salt and is one of the oldest methods of preserving food. Salt prevents the growth of bacteria by drawing water out of fish cells. If properly packed and kept dry, salted fish will keep in good condition for a long time. Cutting up or filleting the fish is good as it speeds up the preserving salting process. Use perfect salted fish step by step for stew and soup recipes.

Perfect Salted Fish Directions Step by Step

Three most common species of freshwater fish in West Africa are Sardine, Tilapia and Nile Perch.

Tilapia is a good flavored fish, easy to prepare and cook. It is rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, low in fat, making it a healthy choice for the sick and elderly with risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart diseases and an excellent source of vitamin B12, which is very important in our body to help maintain our energy levels.

The freshwater sardine is a small silvery fish with a strong taste which is usually sun-dried and eaten whole. Sardines are very inexpensive and can be stored for a long time when salted, rich in calcium, potassium and magnesium which are very important for the development of teeth and bones in children and vital for pregnant mothers, and is rich in vitamin A, D and of the B group vital for the health of all.

Nile Perch is a large fish that can be bought whole, as fillet or steak. It is easy to digest, delicate in taste with a firm and flaky texture, one of the best sources of Omega3 fats and versatile, it can be cooked in many different ways.



Perfect Salted Fish

Ingredients
Pickling salt about 2 pounds or 1 kg per fish
10 fresh fish fillets


Step by Step Directions
Rinse fish well, then pat dry with a cotton towel. Put a layer of salt over the bottom of a container. Put the fish onto the salt skin side down. Cover the fish with a thin layer of salt. Put another layer of fish on top and cover this with a layer of salt. Keep adding layers of fish and salt. The final 3 layers of fish should be put skin side up. When all the fish have been salted then cover the top layer with plenty of salt. Then put a clean wooden board on top and a heavy weight on top of that and leave the fish to salt for 18 days. Wash the fish in clean water to remove the salt from the outside of the fish. Lay the fish on drying racks to dry. The fish can also be hung from the tail on racks in direct sunlight for the first day. From the second day onwards, place the fish in the sun to dry. Dry it for up to 8 days. Keep the fish in a clean, cool place every night. When the fish is dry, put in a large clean container with a layer of salt on the bottom and cover with a lid.

Did you know?
Pickling salt is a salt does not contain iodine or any anti caking products added and is a very fine grained pure food-grade salt used in preserving. Kosher salt is a great alternative to pickling salt in a pinch.


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