Grilled Tilapia © myburntorange
So… I prepared this recipe and photos about 6 months ago. Yes, it takes me a while to get a round to doing things sometimes, but here we are. This is a favourite in Ghana, grilled Tilapia and fresh shito. Remember in my black pepper post I mentioned that shito in Ghana is a word for saying pepper. This dish is so simple in every way. The flavour comes purely from the actual ingredients, whole Tilapia with its river flavour, which I would call earthy, and the fresh shito which tastes divine with kpakpo shito or scotch bonnet. In my recipe today however, I have taken a short cut and gone straight for dried chilli flakes as my heat.
For the Tilapia
Fresh Tilapia © myburntorange
Grind or crush together some ginger, kpakpo shito (if extra heat is desired) and garlic mixed with sea salt flakes. Cut 3 slits into the sides of the fish and rub the marinade into it, making sure it gets into the slits too. What’s next? Just grill!!!!!!!!
For the fresh shito
Fresh shito ready for blitzing © myburntorange
Take one onion, usually brown, but I used red for colour. Take one tomato and as much pepper as you like whether you use scotch bonnet or another variety. Add salt to taste, very important. Traditionally, this would be blended in a clay mortar with a wooden pestle pictured.
Photo Credit: Zoe Ackah/The Epoch Times
As for me and my Burnt Orange London kitchen out of Africa, I use a hand-held chopper/blender… just like my mother would. Throw ingredients in and blitz them together.
Fresh Shito (Ghana’s hot salsa) © myburntorange
That’s it! Seriously, that’s all it takes. This can be served with kenkey, banku, gari or rice. Bon apetit!
Tilapia and fresh shito ready to serve © myburntorange
14 Comments
dobbyssignature
July 5, 2012 at 12:34 pmJeez! you just made me hungry ….Nice recipe!
MyBurntOrange
July 5, 2012 at 10:24 pmWow! Thank you so much and thanks for taking the time to read. Let me know how it goes when you try it! 🙂
Zoe Ackah
August 24, 2012 at 1:40 pmYum. That looks delicious. I’m going to make it this weekend. BTW – thanks for the photos credit – ZA
MyBurntOrange
August 24, 2012 at 2:18 pmYou are most welcome and thanks for stopping by 🙂 Bon Apetit!
Kehinde Gbolade
September 30, 2012 at 5:16 pmSo I made this. First time I made the shito fresh and second time I used a brand manufactured shito. Preferred the fresh one! Flavour was unrivalled and my friend who cooked with me liked it too! I don’t know how to upload a photo on here so I’ll describe it: an oven cooked whole tilapia with 3 slits, it didn’t look as golden as yours! Maybe because this was the one with the jar shito which was dark in colour. All in all, yummy!
MyBurntOrange
September 30, 2012 at 10:31 pmOooooh! Hi darling! How exciting, glad you tried it! Maybe you could facebook it or e-mail the pic, would love to see it! 🙂
Laura Platkeviciute
March 7, 2013 at 12:42 pmMy husband loves tilapia, so i always had to think of different ways how to cook the fish and make sure that my husband is satisfied. Thank you for the recipe, cooking this today !!!! will let u know tomorrow if he enjoyed, and am sure he will .:)
MyBurntOrange
March 9, 2013 at 3:53 amHi Laura! Thanks for visiting. Please let me know how it all went 🙂
Bernard
June 26, 2013 at 6:00 pmI am about to make this for one of my board members. Wish me good luck lol
MyBurntOrange
June 26, 2013 at 8:17 pmWow Bernard! Go for it!
Bernard
June 28, 2013 at 3:06 pmSuccess!! When aroma hit them, i knew i was in the clear. Ps. it went great with both red and white wine.
MyBurntOrange
June 29, 2013 at 6:15 amAbsolutely brilliant! Thanks so much for the feedback 🙂
kimco
September 17, 2013 at 11:48 amthe pepper on the road side takes better than my home made one…why is dat?
MyBurntOrange
September 17, 2013 at 8:56 pmAll the natural roadside flavour is all I can say