Ga Kenkey with Shito and Fried Fish

Ingredients

• 5 cups (750g) white cornmeal, divided
• Warm water, as needed
• 1 tablespoon salt
• Dried corn husks or banana leaves, soaked in warm water until pliable
• 1/2 cup neutral oil
• 1 cup dried shrimp, rinsed
• 1/2 cup dried herring or dried anchovies, cleaned and rinsed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 (2-inch) piece ginger
• 2-3 fresh habanero or scotch bonnet chiles, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chile flakes
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• Salt, to taste
• 4 whole small tilapia or red snapper, cleaned and scored
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Oil, for frying

Before you cook

• Two to three days before serving, mix 4 cups of the cornmeal with enough warm water to form a smooth, stiff dough, like thick mashed potatoes.
• Cover the dough tightly and leave it in a warm spot (75-85°F) to ferment for 2 to 3 days, stirring once a day, until it smells pleasantly sour.
• On cooking day, divide the fermented dough in half and set the remaining 1 cup of dry cornmeal aside.
• Cook one half of the fermented dough in a pot with a splash of water over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a stiff cooked paste.
• Knead the cooked paste back into the raw fermented half until fully combined and smooth, adding the reserved dry cornmeal if the mixture feels loose.
• Season the combined dough with salt and shape it into 8 balls.
• Wrap each ball tightly in two overlapping soaked corn husks, folding the ends under and tying with kitchen twine.
• Score the fish on both sides, rub all over with ground ginger, ground garlic, cayenne, salt, and lemon juice, and let marinate for 20 minutes.
• Rinse the dried shrimp and dried fish for the shito in warm water for 5 minutes, then drain well.

Steps

1. Stand the wrapped kenkey balls upright in a large pot fitted with a steamer rack or an upturned heatproof bowl.
2. Pour water into the pot to come about 2 inches up the sides without touching the parcels.
3. Cover tightly and steam over medium heat for 1 hour, topping up the water if it runs low, until the dough inside feels firm and looks translucent.
4. Pulse the dried shrimp, dried fish, onion, garlic, and fresh ginger in a food processor into a coarse paste.
5. Heat the 1/2 cup of oil in a heavy pot over medium heat until shimmering.
6. Add the fresh chiles and chile flakes to the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes until fragrant.
7. Add the shrimp-fish paste to the pot and fry, stirring often, for 10 minutes until it darkens slightly.
8. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 5 more minutes.
9. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oil separates and rises to the top.
10. Season the shito with salt to taste and set it aside to cool slightly.
11. Heat about 1 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C).
12. Pat the marinated fish dry and lower it carefully into the hot oil.
13. Fry the fish for 5 to 6 minutes per side, until the skin is deep golden and crisp and the flesh flakes easily.
14. Drain the fried fish on paper towels.
15. Unwrap the steamed kenkey from its husks and cut each ball into wedges.
16. Serve the kenkey alongside the fried fish with a generous spoonful of shito on top.