Acheke (Attiéké / Cassava Couscous)

Ingredients

• 4 cups (945 ml) acheke (attiéké) - fresh, frozen, or dried cassava couscous
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
• ½ tsp (2 ml) salt
• 4 whole tilapia or mackerel, cleaned (or fish fillets)
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp (5 ml) ground white pepper
• Oil for frying the fish
• 2 cups (475 ml) cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 green bell peppers or kpakpo shito peppers
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper (optional, to taste)
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. If using dried acheke, sprinkle with warm water, cover, and let it absorb for 10 minutes until the grains soften. Fresh or thawed acheke can be used directly.
2. Break up any clumps with your fingers or a fork so the grains are loose.
3. Steam the acheke for 10-15 minutes (a couscoussier, steamer basket, or microwave with a damp cover all work) until hot, light, and fluffy.
4. Drizzle with the vegetable oil, add salt, and fluff again with a fork. Keep warm.
5. Season the fish with ginger-garlic paste, white pepper, and salt. Let it marinate for 10 minutes.
6. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the fish over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes per side until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
7. For the green pepper sauce: blend the green peppers with a little onion and salt into a coarse paste. Add scotch bonnet if you want heat.
8. Toss the shredded cabbage, diced tomatoes, and half the sliced onion with lime juice and a pinch of salt for a fresh salad.
9. To serve, mound the warm acheke on a plate, lay the fried fish alongside, add the salad, spoon over the green pepper sauce, and scatter the remaining sliced onions on top.

Tips & variations

• Steaming (not boiling) is the secret to fluffy acheke - the grains should stay separate, never soggy. Dried attiéké from African grocery stores works well; just don't over-wet it when rehydrating. The gentle sourness of the fermented cassava is meant to balance the rich fried fish, so don't skip the fresh salad and lime. Kpakpo shito (green bird's eye pepper) makes the most authentic green pepper sauce.