West Africa · Side
Sierra Leone Pepper Sauce (Fried Scotch Bonnet and Dried Fish Relish)
A fiery, umami-rich Sierra Leonean red palm oil relish packed with crushed Scotch bonnets, caramelized onions, and smoked bonga fish.
The story
Omnipresent on dining tables from Bonthe to Koidu, this pungent fried pepper sauce elevates everything from plain rice and boiled cassava to grilled fish. Smoked bonga fish (ethmalosa fimbriata) lends an intensely deep woodsmoke savor that cuts directly through the blazing heat of fresh red Scotch bonnet chilies. Slow-frying the aromatics in unrefined red palm oil caramelizes the alliums while extracting fat-soluble capsaicin, yielding a long-lasting pantry staple.
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