Recipes from Liberia

Liberia was founded as a country in the 19th century by freed American slaves returned to Africa to form a new nation. While only 5% of the population are descendants of these settlers, certain American traditions continue and are apparent in the cuisine. Recent civil war has meant that the country is struggling to recover as refugees return to their homes. Common ingredients in Liberian cooking include cassavas, hot red peppers, sweet potatoes and yams, plantains, greens, okra, coconut, pumpkin, mangoes, ginger and eggplant. 

Stewed Mangoes with Cloves (Liberia) 8 servings
If ripe mangoes are not available, you can use 2 24-ounce cans of apricots or yellow cling peaches in heavy syrup.

Make a sugar syrup by mixing: ¾ cup sugar and ¾ cup water and boiling one minute

In a 1-quart saucepan, place: 4 large ripe mangoes, peeled and sliced (or peaches or apricots)

Add: syrup(you can use syrup from canned fruit) and 6 whole cloves

Simmer for 15 minutes or until mangoes are tender. Cool and serve in compote dishes, garnishing with cloves.

 

Sweet Potato Pone (Liberia) 1 9-inch square pone

Preheat oven to 325F

In a 3 quart saucepan, combine: 3 cups grated raw sweet potatoes,
1 cup molasses or dark cane syrup
2 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
a cup vegetable oil
  • Simmer slowly, stirring constantly for 10 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and pour into a well-greased 9-inch square pan
  • Bake at 325EF for 30 minutes, stirring the pan every 5 minutes for the first 20 minutes in the oven. After the last stirring, smooth the top and let it brown.
  • Remove from the oven. Cut into squares and serve hot or cold.

 

Eggplant stew with ham and fish (Liberia) serves 6 to 8
2 pounds eggplant, thinly sliced* 1 onion, chopped finely
4 to 6 tablespoons oil ½ pound cooked ham or bacon, chopped
1 pound white fish fillets, cut into pieces 2 ½ cups water
salt and pepper to taste

(*Some people prefer the taste of eggplant, or find they like it better, if the pieces are soaked in salt water for 20 minutes and then drained, and then sauteed in a little oil for a few minutes before adding to the recipe.)

  • In a flat pan with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and gently cook the fish fillets until they are golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
  • Adding more oil if necessary, cook the onion a few minutes and then add the bacon or ham.
  • After this, replace the fish and add the water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then toss in the eggplant slices.
  • Cover the pan and turn the heat to low, simmering for 20 to 30 minutes until the eggplant is tender and the flavors have blended.

Recipe from The New Internationalist Food Book by Troth Wells, Second Story Press, 1995, p. 67