The Sunday News
Carl Joshua Ncube
Kapenta, little fish bags of flavour (pic fish)
Preparation time (15 minutes) Cook time (25 min) Total time (40 mins) Course (side dish) Servings (four). Ingredients: 500g Kapenta, one tomato, one Onion, two table spoons, Usavi Mix, Cooking Oil.
Instructions: Overnight soak the Kapenta in hot water. Drain the water and in a sauce pan on high heat add cooking oil. Fry the onions until they are translucent, add chopped tomato and mix very well.
Pour enough water to cover the mixture and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Mix the Usavi mix with a little water to make a paste and add to the saucepan mixing well. Allow to reduce and thicken. Serve with rice or sadza.
Chilli Kapenta: red fiery and tasty
Prep Time (15 min) Cook Time (20 min) Total Time(35 min) Course (condiment) Servings (8 servings)
Ingredients: 800g Kapenta dried, two Tomatoes, two Onions, one teaspoon Cayenne pepper, one tablespoon chilli flakes, four tablespoons paprika, two tablespoons tandoori spice, Cooking oil.
Instructions: In a pot on high heat place cooking oil and fry off chopped onions until they are translucent. Add the tandoori spice and mix well making sure it is toasting but does not burn. Put in remainder of spices like paprika and Cayene pepper continuing to mix well.
Add the tinned tomatoes and incorporate fully and let it simmer. When the mixture has simmered for about 10 minutes add the kapenter and 1/2 cup of water and continue to simmer at low heat for a further 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Use as a condiment on other meals. Store in a jar in the fridge.
Creepy Sauces: How to make them
Prep Time (15 min) Cook Time (10 min) Total Time (25 min) Course (side dish) Servings (8 servings)
So what I have found in all my cooking demonstrations is that people who aren’t familiar with how we eat things like locusts, termites, caterpillars, bugs etc, will not try these things in a meal.
The blender is my friend as I use most of these as seasonings or additions to pre-existing sauces to create something different.
Kapenta: Place 500g of kapenta in a blender and blitz till a fine powder. Use powder to season other fish or just use Kapenta as a crust on salmon.
Mopane worms: Place 500g of mopane worms and a teaspoon of salt, chilli flakes then blend till fine. Use to season stews.
Grasshoppers: Grill 1 kg of grasshoppers until crispy or deep fry and set aside. Allow to dry overnight. Place in blender with a cup of cottage cheese and honey. Blend and use as a dip.
Stink Bugs: In a pan deep fry 1 kg of stink bugs. Drain and allow to dry overnight. In a blender add pepper corns 1 teaspoon, 2 tablespoons salt, cayenne pepper.
Blend well. Add to sauces and dips as required. (Recipe from Carl Joshua Ncube’s Chikafu 100 diary recipe diary)
