Destination
Kampala
The story
Fried samaki (Swahili for fish) is Uganda's most-loved lake-fish preparation, made with Nile perch or tilapia from Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga. A whole fresh fish is scaled, gutted, scored deeply on both sides, marinated briefly in garlic, ginger, lime and salt, then deep-fried in a wok of hot oil until the skin is blistered dark crackly and the flesh is just cooked through at the bone. Served on a plate or wooden board with boiled cassava batons, sliced avocado, a mound of kachumbari and a wedge of lime. Sold at every Kampala fish market food counter (Ggaba, Kasenyi) and at every roadside fish shack.
Method
Rinse the fish under cold water. Pat dry. On each side of each fish, score 3 to 4 diagonal cuts down to the bone.
Whisk all marinade ingredients into a paste. Rub thoroughly all over each fish, working into the scored cuts and inside the cavity. Rest 20 to 30 minutes.
Mix flour, curry powder and salt on a wide plate. Roll each marinated fish in the flour mix, pressing to coat.
Warm oil in a wide deep pot (at least 5cm deep of oil) to 180C.
Lower each fish carefully into the hot oil. Fry 5 to 6 minutes on the first side, then flip with two spatulas and fry another 4 to 5 minutes on the second side. The skin should be dark blistered and crackly; the internal temperature at the thickest point 65C.
Lift each fish onto a wire rack. Rest 3 minutes.
Toss the kachumbari ingredients (fresh tomato, onion, chili, lime, salt). Boil cassava. Slice avocado.
Set the whole fish on a big platter. Arrange cassava, avocado and kachumbari alongside. Serve with lime wedges and chili sauce. Diners tear pieces of fish off the bone with hands.
Tips
- Fresh fish only. The whole preparation depends on the fish being fresh. Ask the fishmonger for that morning's catch.
- Score deep. All the way to the bone. Shallow scores do not do enough.
- 180C oil is the target. Cooler and the skin does not crackle; hotter and the fish burns before the flesh is cooked.
- Two spatulas for the flip. A whole fried fish is fragile.
- Cassava on the side. This is the classical Ugandan starch pairing.
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