How To Make Fish Sauce I Nigerian Fish Sauce Recipe I Typical Sunday Lunch In A Nigerian Home

stock fish

🥗Healthier: fresh fish

💰Cheaper: canned fish

Fresh or canned fish can be more accessible and less expensive.

palm oil

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Olive oil offers a healthier fat option, while vegetable oil is often cheaper.

crayfish

🥗Healthier: dried shrimp

💰Cheaper: fish sauce

Dried shrimp can enhance flavor while being more affordable.

scotch bonnet peppers

🥗Healthier: jalapeño

💰Cheaper: bell peppers

Jalapeños provide heat with less intensity, while bell peppers are milder and easier to find.

Introduce the ingredients needed for the fish sauce.

Chop the onions and fresh tomatoes, and remove the seeds from the cayenne pepper.

Blend the chopped tomatoes, scotch bonnet pepper, and cayenne pepper roughly off camera.

Wash the mackerel fish properly and cut it into preferred sizes.

Add the mackerel fish to a pot along with chopped onion, some of the blended peppers, fish seasoning, curry powder, salt, and a little water.

Stir the mixture and allow it to steam for about 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, check the fish and proceed to fry it until golden brown and crispy, which takes about 6 minutes.

Remove the fried fish from the oil and set aside.

Add chopped onion to the same oil used for frying the fish and fry for about 3 minutes.

Add curry powder to the onions and fry for an additional 1 minute.

Add the chopped tomatoes and peppers to the pot, stir until well combined, and fry until some water content dries up (about 5 to 7 minutes).

After about 10 minutes of frying, check for oil floating on top to indicate the sauce is properly fried.

Add about 2 tablespoons of crayfish powder and seasoning cubes to the sauce, stir to combine.

Taste the sauce and add more salt and seasoning cubes if necessary, then cover the pot and continue cooking.

After 5 minutes, add the deboned mackerel fish and scent leaf to the sauce and let it simmer for about 3 minutes.

Serve the fish sauce with boiled rice and fried plantains.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: