Seafood
The Africa News Cookbook
4

Although higher in fat than many fish, herring is one of the most nutritious and least costly. Because fresh kippered herring tends to be heavily salted as well as smoked, you should soak it before use as you would a dried salt fish. Fillet a fresh kipper by making a slit down the center of the back and carefully pulling out the backbone. Most of the tiny bones should come along with it. For easier preparation, buy kippered herring in cans; it's already filleted and doesn't need soaking. Like palm nut soup, kentumere requires palm oil, carried by certain ethnic and specialty shops.

• 1 cup palm oil
• 1 cup onions, coarsly chopped
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 cup tomatoes
• 1 cup kippered herring
• 4 cups fresh spinach, chopped

Heat the oil in a large skillet or heavy pot, then saute onions and pepper together. Mash or grind the tomatoes and stir them in, along with the remaining ingredients. Cook at a moderate temperature for 15 minutes, or until fish is tender and flaky. If there is too much oil on the surface for your liking, skim some off with a spoon. Serve kentumere with cooked plantain or rice.