It seems as if mancarra (peanuts) are found in at least one dish at every meal in Guinea-Bissau. They are usually toasted and ground into a powder and then added to a broth to make a sauce. This recipe mixes fish with the peanuts to form a delicious appetizer.
1 cup raw peanuts
2 pounds tilapia fish
juice of 1 lemon (3 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
6 thin slices onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, grated
1 sprig parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
about ¼ cup chicken broth
vegetable oil for frying
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread peanuts on baking sheet and bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes, shaking occasionally. Remove from oven; cool; grind in food processor. Set aside.
Season fish with lemon juice, salt, pepper, and onion slices. Set aside for 30 minutes. Heat oil in medium skillet and sauté fish in oil until golden on both sides. Remove and cool. Flake fish.
Add onions, parsley, salt, and ground peanuts to fish. Mix well. Add enough broth to hold ingredients together. Shape into balls and fry in hot oil until golden on all sides. Serve warm or at room temperature with drinks.
Makes about 30.
country : Guinea-Bissau
course : appetizer
source : Cuisines of Portuguese Encounters : Recipes from Portugal, Madeira / Azores, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola, Mozambique, Goa, Brazil, Malacca, East Timor, and Macao / Cherie Y. Hamilton