Togolese Bread
This is a traditional Togolese recipe for a classic bread made from a yeasted blend of maize flour and wheat flour that's baked as layers in a cake tin.
Ingredients:
1kg maize flour 150g wheat flour 1 packet of active, dried, yeast salt, to taste Ablo (Togolese Corn Bread) Preparation:
Method:
Sift together the flours into a bowl. Take a quarter of this mixture and beat to a smooth slurry with 200ml water. Add 200ml water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. At this point whisk in the flour slurry, stirring constantly. Whisk until smooth and bring just to a boil then take off the heat. Combine the remaining flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. When the flour paste has cooled completely work this into the flours in the bowl. Knead to form a light batter, adding more water as needed. Cover the bowl and set aside to prove for 60 minutes. When the dough has risen, knock back lightly then take a springform cake tin and grease lightly. Pour the batter into the cake tin, making five layers, each separated by sheets of greaseproof (waxed) paper. Sit the cake tin in a deep roasting dish and fill the dish with boiling water. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through and set. Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack then repeat the baking process with the remaining batter. When the corn breads are still warm, separate them into individual cakes. They are typically served accompanied by fried fish, onions and pounded chillies or pepper sauce.
Togolese Dessert
TOGOLESE BAKED BANANAS (serves 4)
Since bananas are ubiquitous in West African cuisine, it is not unusual at all to find them in desserts. In fact, they could be served in every course of a meal.
4 large bananas, ripe but firm
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons brown sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
crushed peanuts for garnish
Heat the oven to 350 ºF. Place the unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet or in a shallow pan. Bake for 20 minutes, until the skins are brown.
Remove the bananas to serving plates. Make two slits along the length of each banana and pull back and remove a strip of the peel to reveal the banana. Squeeze ½ tespoon of lime juice over each fruit, then sprinkle with brown sugar. Ladle a tablespoon of cream over each fruit. Garnish with the crushed peanuts.
Since bananas are ubiquitous in West African cuisine, it is not unusual at all to find them in desserts. In fact, they could be served in every course of a meal.
4 large bananas, ripe but firm
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons brown sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
crushed peanuts for garnish
Heat the oven to 350 ºF. Place the unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet or in a shallow pan. Bake for 20 minutes, until the skins are brown.
Remove the bananas to serving plates. Make two slits along the length of each banana and pull back and remove a strip of the peel to reveal the banana. Squeeze ½ tespoon of lime juice over each fruit, then sprinkle with brown sugar. Ladle a tablespoon of cream over each fruit. Garnish with the crushed peanuts.