Published on : 02/07/2022 – 06:00
She has the magic hand, Aïssatou Mbaye! The Senegalese cook, storyteller and author opens the doors of her kitchen to us, and teaches us, at home, to master the techniques for making pasta, simmering stuffings, marinades and homemade broths. Sharing the cultures of millet and not wheat societies, the freshness of ingredients, healthy food on the move, which adapts to cities and their pace. His latest book focuses on 2 “West African specialties, the best known and most appreciated by the readers of his blog” which – between them – nevertheless represent “only a tiny part of the culinary heritage of Sub-Saharan Africa “.
Aïssatou Mbaye cooks the way she shares: the products are simple, the skill clearly explained and transmitted, the sharing is tasty and the result: addictive. For these pastels, which she reminds us that they come from street food, she gives the recipes, the helping hands, the tricks, the step by step that will allow everyone to do in their turn, the very essence of transmission.
There was no time to cook a yassa, or we were happy to save another moment in Aïssatou’s kitchen for later, listening to her talk regarding her roots, the flavors and the richness of Africa.
With Aïssatou Mbaye, author of blog. « Pastels and Yassa, the guide to mastering them, my secrets for success » is a treasure and a mine of information, tricks, recipes to put in all hands. It is available on son site, via her social networks, in good bookstores and in Dakar, in the café she opened: the Keliba. His previous book Sub-Saharan flavors ».
For further
– Tastes of Africa, by Anto Cocagne and Sonia Princet – Marregarding
– Mafé, yassa and okra, Alexandre’s cuisine, by Alexandre Bella Ola – First editions
– BMK, the book of the eponymous restaurant, by Fousseyni, Abdoulaye Djikine and Marie-Liesse Cabaret – Hachette Editions
– The portrait of Aïssatou in The Taste of the World
and all accounts on social networks such as Ivorian food.
The music
– Dammeex, of Mrs. Daman
– Jammu Africa, by Ishmael Lo.
In images, in pictures
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Recipe
A paste for your fish pastels of course! The recipe is in Aissatou Mbaye’s book: ” Pastels and Yassa and on his blog: Aistoucuisine.com
For regarding thirty pastels. Preparation: 1 hour.
Ingredients :
For the dough: 500g of flour, 1/2 sachet of baking powder, 50g of soft butter, 2 tablespoons of oil, 25cl of lukewarm milk, 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
For the stuffing: 500 g of white flesh fish (thiof, monkfish…), 1/2 onion, 3 dry peppers, a few sprigs of parsley, 3 cloves of garlic, pepper.
Recipe : 1 The dough: 2 Mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the butter then lightly sand with your fingers. 3 Gradually pour the milk into the flour and mix until you obtain a homogeneous and non-sticky dough.
4 Add the oil, then knead once more
5 Form a ball, cover with a tea towel and leave to rest for at least 1 hour.
The joke : Bring a pot of salted water to a boil beforehand. Add the onion, minced garlic and chilli. “Poach” the fish in this water over medium heat for 15 minutes. Meanwhile mix or pound in a mortar: onion, parsley, garlic, pepper and chilli. Drain the fish then add it to the mixture and mix everything.
Take some of the dough and roll it out thinly. Then make small discs using a glass.
The shaping: Take some of the dough and roll it out thinly. Then make small discs using a cookie cutter or a glass. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each disk. Fold the edges to make crescent moons. Pinch the edges well with a fork to prevent the pastels from opening during cooking. Repeat the process on the rest of the dough. Heat hot oil in a pot or pan and dip the pastels as you go. Once nicely browned, drain the pastels on absorbent paper.
Notes: Serve with a slightly spicy onion and tomato sauce.
