Boiling is an easy way to cook stew as it needs less stirring and checking compared to the fried method. Boiling also makes your stew thicker and filled with natural flavours especially when you associate the right ingredients. 

This recipe is one of my favourite recipes for boiled tomato stew or sauce. The ingredients are finely chopped and cooked together to bring the most delicious taste and flavour to enjoy.

Enough talk. Let's cook!

Cameroonian Fish Stew | Recipe

Ingredients

Fresh tomatoes

Tomato paste

Onion

Leeks / green onions

Green spices (celery, cutmanjo)

Maggi and salt

Oil

White pepper

Fresh fish

Garlic

Cooking

- Put the tomato paste in a pot, add some water to it and place it on the fire to boil. 

- While the tomato paste is boiling, prepare your ingredients. 

Grind the white pepper and slice the green spices alongside the onion and leeks into small pieces. I didn't put a lot of green spices because I didn't want my stew to be too green. I rather put more leeks for a better flavour and taste.

- Clean the fish, wash it and season with salt, Maggi and white pepper. 

Ground white pepper and fish eggs set aside

- Slice the fresh tomatoes in a separate bowl with the garlic into small bits. 

- When the boiling tomato paste is ready or tastes less sour, add the sliced fresh tomatoes and garlic to it and let them boil again. 

I didn't put many tomatoes because I had more tomatoes paste. If you have more fresh tomatoes instead then use them. You can vary the proportions as you choose or prefer. I added fresh tomatoes to give my sou a fresh tomato taste since I used more tomato paste. 

I prefer using fresh tomatoes only for my stews but at the time I made this recipe, fresh tomatoes were expensive so I opted for sachet tomato paste. I tried this particular Roma, and it was good. I loved the colour because it was red and not dark red like the other. Also, it didn't have an artificial smell. 

- When your tomatoes boil for a few minutes add the chopped or sliced ingredients and let it boil again.

- When you begin to perceive the aroma of the ingredients, add the fish, salt, Maggi, the ground white pepper (Poivre blanc). 

I found some fish eggs in one of the bellies of the fish while cleaning it. I was so happy because I love fish eggs. So I kept it aside and added it to the pot towards the end because they are fragile and I wanted them to stay intact. 

- Stir the soup to mix the ingredients and let it boil. Add oil while it is boiling and cover the pot of soup to boil until the fish and ingredients get ready. This should take about ten minutes. 

Be careful as you stir the soup with the fish. Boiled fish scatters easily so use a wooden spoon or stir gently.

- Serve your stew with rice or any accompaniment of your choice. I had mine with rice and it was great.