KFB Foodie Talk: Nigerian Titus Stew

For our newbies, the KFB foodie talk column - handled by Dobby of Dobbysignature - is basically for ladies and 'gu ys' that ar...

For our newbies, the KFB foodie talk column - handled by Dobby of Dobbysignature - is basically for ladies and 'guys' that are interested in learning how to cook better ;).'

I could probably talk about mackerel a.k.a titus throughout this post but that would be going overboard. I grew up loving this tasty fish known locally as "Titus". The beautiful looking vertical stripes on its back makes it a beautiful sight to look at. As one of the most popular fish you'd find in the country, it's not unusual to find it in most meals. It could be smoked, grilled, boiled or fried. Either way, you're sure to love the outcome. Mackerel is rich in omega-3 oils which is necessary for brain function, reduce the risk of heart disease as well as normal growth and development. And since body can't make them humans have to get them through food. Now, this stew is really easy to make and can be paired with any meal such as rice, beans, yam, potato e.t.c.

How To Make Mackerel (Titus) Stew
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Level: Easy

Ingredients:::

• 12 Medium Sized Tomatoes

• 4 Red bell pepper

• 10 Medium Sized Chili pepper a.k.a Shombo

• 6 Cloves Garlic

• 2 Red onion

• 5 Red scotch bonnets

• 1 cup Cooking Oil

• 3 Medium sized Mackerel (Titus) Fish

• 1 tsp. Thyme

• 1 tsp. Curry powder

• 2 Seasoning cubes

• Salt to taste
• Lime (To clean the fish)

Procedure:::

Step 1: The first step is to prepare the tomato and pepper puree. To do that, you rinse the tomatoes, red bell pepper, chili pepper a.k.a shombo, garlic, 1 red onion, red scotch bonnets and puree everything together in a blender. Pour the puree into a pot and cook till all the liquid dries up leaving just the concentrate. Click here for the full tomapep tutorial with step by step pictures.

Step 2: Clean and gut the mackerel fish, rinse with lime water and place in a pot. Blend the second onion with a little water and pour into the pot. Add the thyme, curry powder, crushed seasoning and salt to taste. Steam for about 5 minutes - Set aside.

Step 3: In an empty pot, heat up the cooking oil. Add the tomapep puree in step 1 above and fry for about 3 minutes. Add the fish stock and stir. Leave to cook for about 10-13 minutes.