Central Africa · Main

Calulu de Peixe (Santomean Herbed Fish Stew)

Name: Calulu de Peixe (Santomean Herbed Fish Stew)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: São Tomé and Príncipe
Ingredients: 600 g firm fresh white fish fillets (grouper or snapper), cut into large steaks; 200 g smoked dried fish (mackerel or corvina), soaked and flaked; 200 g fresh okra, trimmed and thinly sliced into rounds; 200 g watercress or Malabar spinach, washed and chopped; 100 g sweet potato leaves or kale, shredded; 80 ml dende (red palm oil); 2 piece medium yellow onions, sliced; 3 piece ripe tomatoes, chopped; 4 clove garlic, crushed; 1 piece habanero chili, left whole; 2 piece bay leaves; 1 tsp sea salt; 500 ml water

Fresh and smoked fish layered with indigenous greens, fresh okra, and fragrant red palm oil in a rich herbal broth.

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The story

Calulu is the grand culinary identity of São Tomé and Príncipe, stemming from centuries of Atlantic trade and Creole synthesis. Traditionally prepared for religious feasts and weddings, this masterwork demands balancing delicate fresh ocean fish with deeply smoked fish, wild greens, and mucilaginous okra.

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