Bringing West Africa to the world: Ghanaian chef Zoe Adjonyoh's recipes
Chef Zoe Adjonyoh was born in England to an Irish mother and a Ghanaian father. She loved the foods of her father's homeland and taught herself how to prepare them. After a batch of peanut soup offered up at an arts festival was such a hit, she opened London restaurant Zoe's Ghana Kitchen. That's also the title of her new debut cookbook.
Adjonyoh is being honored at the annual Iconoclast Dinner Experience at the James Beard House in New York Saturday along with other trailblazing chefs and beverage professionals of color from around the world.
Here are some of Adjonyoh's signature recipes:
Suya Slawter burger
Suya spice mix ingredients
2 teaspoons ground hot pepper (or substitute cayenne pepper)
1⁄2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon crushed sea salt
Burger ingredients
3.5 ounce ground rump beef (preferably organic/ free range)
0.35 ounce caramelised red onion
1 tsp suya spice mix
1 brioche bun toasted lightly on both sides
1 tbsp spicy shito mayo (recipe below)
1 suya burger
1 baby gem lettuce
2 slices beef tomato
3 slices Hass avocado
1 ounce spicy slaw (recipe below)
1/2 ounce peanut sauce (recipe below)
Directions
1. Mix all the ingredients for the dry spice mix together in a bowl. Store in airtight container in a cool, dark place, or in the fridge if made with peanut butter, and use within a few months.
2. Combine suya spice mix and caramelized red onion together and shape into a burger patty.
3. Build burger.
Shito mayo
Ingredients
500ml (18 oz) rapeseed oil (or substitute sunflower or vegetable oil)
5 red onions, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1.4 ounce ground grains of paradise
7.5cm (3-inch) piece fresh root ginger, finely grated (unpeeled if organic)
1 tablespoon chopped roasted rosemary (optional)
75g (2 3⁄4oz) green kpakpo shito chillies, finely diced (with seeds!) (or substitute green Scotch bonnets, if available, or 2 tablespoons dried chilli flakes)
5-6 tablespoons tomato purée
100ml (3 1⁄2oz) good-quality chicken stock
125g (4 1⁄2oz) chilli powder
100g (3 1⁄2oz) dried ground prawn/shrimp or crayfish powder
50g (13 ⁄4oz) dried smoked fish powder
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed sea salt
Directions
1. Heat a heavy-based saucepan, then add the oil and fry the onions over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes until translucent.
2. Add the garlic, guinea peppers, ginger, thyme or rosemary (if using) and chilies and fry together for a few minutes. Stir in the tomato purée and chicken stock until the mixture has formed a thick paste. Then pour in the chili powder and continue cooking and stirring for a further 10 minutes.
3. Finally, add the prawn/shrimp or crayfish and smoked fish powder, then cook over a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring almost continuously to prevent the mixture sticking to base of the pan. The oil will rise to the surface when the sauce is ready. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. You can choose to blend the sauce with a stick blender or leave it unblended for a coarser texture. Leave to cool, then spoon into sterilized jars. There should be plenty of oil on top of the sauce once it's cooked, so make sure there is a layer about 1cm (1/2 inch) thick in each jar. But if there is not enough, pour in extra oil to cover. Seal the jars and store in the fridge for up to a month.
3. Mix 1 tsp of shito to 3.5 oz mayo
Spicy slaw
Ingredients
1/2 white cabbage shredded
1/2 red cabbage shredded
2 grated carrots
1 tsp Caribbean curry powder
1 scotch bonnet de-seeded and diced
Sea salt to taste
Course ground black pepper to taste
50 ml lemon juice
Directions
1. Mix together.
Peanut sauce
Ingredients
1 tablespoon groundnut oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon extra-hot chilli powder
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 garlic clove, crushed
5cm (2-inch) piece fresh root ginger, grated (unpeeled if organic)
1 red Scotch bonnet chilli, pierced
3 tablespoons crushed roasted peanuts
2 teaspoons crushed sea salt
500ml (18 fl oz) Chalé Sauce (recipe below)
250ml (9 fl oz) good-quality vegetable stock
100-200g (3.5 oz - 7 oz) organic peanut butter, depending on how thick you want the sauce 8 green kpakpo shito (cherry) chilies (or substitute green habañero chilies)
Chale sauce ingredients
1 tablespoon groundnut oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon extra-hot chilli powder
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 garlic clove, crushed
5cm (2-inch) piece fresh root ginger, grated (unpeeled if organic)
1 red Scotch bonnet chilli, pierced
3 tablespoons crushed roasted peanuts
2 teaspoons crushed sea salt
500ml (18 fl oz) Chalé Sauce
250ml (9 fl oz) good-quality vegetable stock
100-200g (3.5 oz - 7 oz) organic peanut butter, depending on how thick you want the sauce 8 green kpakpo shito (cherry) chilies (or substitute green habañero chilies)
Directions
1. Place all the chale sauce ingredients in a blender and blend together until you have a smooth paste.
2. Use straight away or leave to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for future use.Heat the groundnut oil in a heavy-based saucepan, add the onion and sauté over a medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the chili powder and curry powder, then add the garlic, ginger, Scotch bonnet, crushed peanuts, sea salt and black pepper and stir well - lots of punchy aroma should be rising from the pot at this point.
3. Stir in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until stock reduces by half. Add the chale sauce and cook for a further 50 mins.
4. Add the peanut butter 1 tablespoon at a time while stirring until it has all dissolved, then use a stick blender to blend all the ingredients to a smooth consistency.
5. Add the whole pierced kpakpo shito chillies to the sauce and leave to simmer over a low heat for at least a further 60 minutes before serving, or leave to cool and then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Red red
Ingredients
7 oz roughly chopped fresh plum tomatoes
14 oz tinned chopped or plum tomatoes
7 oz black eye beans (can use 400g organic tinned beans drained and rinsed)
2.5 fluid oz sustainable palm oil or carratino Oil
1 medium red onions finely diced
1 tbs tomato puree
1 inch finely grated fresh ginger (skin on if organic)
½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp chilli flakes
½ red scotch bonnet de-seeded and diced
1 tsp salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
Directions
1. Boil the beans in salted water until tender - you should be able to squeeze them easily between thumb and forefinger - if using tinned beans drain and rinse and set aside. In the heavy-based pan heat the oil until melts.
2. Add the diced onion + ginger + chili flakes + scotch bonnet and sauté until onion is translucent 2-3 minutes should do it then add the curry and chilli powder and stir well.
3. When all is golden add chopped plum tomatoes + tomato puree + salt + pepper and stir through - leave to cook on medium heat for 30 mins or until tomatoes start to break down - if you want a smooth sauce blend at this point.
4. Add the cooked or drained beans and turn down to a low-medium heat, stir through occasionally so the beans don't stick to bottom of pan - cook for a further 30-40 mins on a low heat until beans are tender and tartness of tomatoes has dissipated.
5. Check seasoning before serving in bowl with some gari sprinkled on top and a side of fried plantain.
Ghanaian guacamole
Ingredients
4 ripe avocados diced
1/2 juice of fresh lime (or 1 tbs lemon or lime juice)
2 tablespoons crushed roasted peanuts
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ small red onion finely diced
1 tbs extra virgin rapeseed oil
pinch of course ground black pepper (to taste)
1 tsp chopped fresh Coriander or Chives to garnish
Directions
1. Peel the avocados, remove the pit and cube the flesh.
2. Finely dice all the remaining ingredients and mix together in a bowl with a fork - try to keep the avocado in cubes rather than mashed.
3. Garnish with fresh herbs and chili and / or chopped pistachio or roasted nuts with a pinch of ground hot pepper and sea salt.
Roasted boabab corn
Ingredients
4.5 oz salted butter room temperature
1⁄2 lime zest and juice
1tsp ground hot pepper or cayenne
1tbsp baobab powder
1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch of course ground black pepper
Directions
1. Mix all ingredients together with a fork or whisk and roll into a baton on grease roof paper, chill to set into easy to slice block
2. Wrap one whole maize per person in aluminium foil with 1 tbs baobab butter and a sprig of rosemary and a pinch of seas salt - cook on medium hot grill turning every 3-4 minutes to evenly cook sides
3. Take off heat and remove from foil when ready to serve and corn is lightly charred on all sides.
Puff puff with strawberry chili jam
Ingredients
10.5 oz plain flour
1tbsp dried yeast
3.5 oz brown or muscavado sugar
1tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of grated nutmeg
2 oz water
Directions
1. Activate yeast with warm water. Add all ingredients together. Mix well. Keep somewhere warm to allow to leaven for a few hours. Store in fridge. The consistency should be like a drop scone or thick pancake.
2. Heat oil to fry in a heavy based pan - moisten clean hands with water and scoop out 1 tbsp of mix at a time and pinch into a ball - gently drop into hot oil, repeat for quantity desired. Balls should quickly rise to surface golden brown all over - remove from oil and drain before rolling in cinnamon sugar to serve.
Strawberry chili jam ingredients
10.5 oz plain flour
1tbsp dried yeast
3.5 oz brown or muscavado sugar
1tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of grated nutmeg
2 oz water
Directions
1. Put the sugar and water in a pan, on a gentle low heat.
2. Lean and quarter the strawberries, then add the sugar and mash it all together on a low heat and keep stirring gently. After 5 minutes, add the chili flakes and scotch bonnets and salt and keep cooking until the jam thickens to desired consistency, approx 5-6 minutes.
