Category:Beninese Meat Dishes

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In Benin the most eaten meat type is chicken, fish, lamb and very rare pork meat. Due to the fact that the meat is quite expensive, the people in Benin serve meals which include meats only in special occasion. A traditional recipe made of meat is the so-called Dahomey fish stew. To cook this dish you need any kind of fresh fish, flour, salt, black pepper, palm or vegetable oil, finely chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, fish stock or water, red or cayenne peppers. After you gather all these ingredients, you have to cut the fish into two inch sections and roll the fish slices in a mixture of flour, salt and pepper; then fry it in oil until it has a golden brown color. After you remove the fish from the skillet, fry the onion and the tomatoes and after a few minutes add the fish stock. After about ten minutes return the fish in the skillet, add the pepper and leave it in the skillet for about 30 minutes. The Dahomey fish stew is served with rice.

Another dish that includes fish is Grilled Fish. In order to cook Grilled Fish you need fish, finely chopped onion, pepper, salt, peanut oil and lemon. First of all you have to wash and pat dry the fish and then make about five incisions on the fish. Mix the chopped onions with the salt and pepper and put the mixture into each incision. After you finish putting the mixture into each fish, put the fish on a grill and from time to time turn it around. It can be served with lemon slices.

A famous traditional dish made of meat is the Lamb stewed in Peanut sauce. The main ingredients for this recipe are: lamb shoulder, peanut butter, and water, vegetables, salt and powdered shrimp. To cook this dish you have to boil the peanut butter along with the water for 15 minutes. While the peanut butter boils in water, fry the lamb shoulders in peanut oil into a large pot until it becomes brown. Add the vegetables in the pot near the lamb pieces. Put the mixture of water and peanut butter in the pot and leave it on the fire for half an hour. The Lamb stewed in Peanut butter is served with rice.