I've made several different types of pap, ugali, fufu, etc for this project. That's essentially what this recipe for Togo is, but it's definitely the most unique preparation I've seen. Pap or fufu is usually used kind of like bread, where you pinch off a bit of it and use it to scoop up some stew. This recipe for djenkoume is in stark contrast to that, where the cornmeal is cooked in tomato sauce, then covered in it. It's really interesting, and tastier than I was expecting.
I've mentioned before how I haven't fully come around to the flavor of red palm oil, but it's really necessary for many African dishes. In this dish it not only imparts a unique flavor, but it adds to the red color of the final product.
The first step is cooking onions, garlic, and ginger in the palm oil. I do love the rich golden color onions take on when fried in palm oil.
Next, a can of diced tomatoes goes in to stew with the onions. I use canned tomatoes because it's just really convenient. The recipe I used (although not directly from Togo) also calls for a can of tomatoes.
A couple tablespoons of tomato paste are added as well, and after simmering for a bit the sauce is nice and thick and half of it can be set aside.
I took out most of the tomato pieces from the pot when I set aside half the sauce, then added broth to what remained to make kind of a tomato water for the cornmeal to soak up.
The cornmeal I used is just a regular yellow cornmeal. White cornmeal is probably used in Togo, and is probably a finer grain than what I used.
The cornmeal goes into the pot with the tomato sauce and broth and simmers for a bit until it, too, thickens up. It's a similar process to making grits or polenta.
Once it's thick enough to stay on the spoon without falling off, it's ready to mold. You can see some of the tomatoes and onions that were mixed in with the cornmeal.
I put my mixture into greased ramekins to try to form the shape. Normally they are in balls or domes. With a finer cornmeal consistency, I'm sure you can also easily just shape it with your hands once cool enough.
After it had cooled in the ramekin a bit, I turned it over and was able to shape the top of it into more of a rounded dome, which I think helps the presentation a bit. You can see above the difference in texture once cooled and shaped.
The rest of the sauce that was reserved from cooking before gets spooned onto the plate for serving with the djenkoume. I decided to spoon it over the top to kind of add more moisture to it. It also looks kind of nice.
I also decided to make a bit of relish to go along with it, which I think helped brighten up the heavy texture and flavor of the dish. I simply took corn, red bell pepper, and jalapenos and mixed with some lime juice, salt, and pepper. It also added a nice pop of color to the plate.
Recipe Used: Djenkoume
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