Cocoa-Orange Fish

Cocoa powder transforms both savory and sweet dishes. Its luxurious earthiness adds depth to proteins, like the fish in this recipe from Nicole Taylor. Be sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder; swapping out the benne seeds with sesame seeds and maple sugar with light brown sugar is fine. Any variety of hot chile flakes works here, too. Other fish fillets, such as wild Alaskan salmon or snapper, can be substituted for catfish. From “Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes From Across the African Diaspora,” edited by Bryant Terry (Ten Speed Press).

Cocoa Rub

2 tablespoons kosher salt 2 teaspoons benne seeds teaspoon dried bird’s eye chile flakes

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons maple sugar

teaspoon caraway seeds

Fish

1 pound oranges (about 2 medium)

In a large bowl, combine all of the rub ingredients and mix well. This seasoning can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container.

Slice the oranges into 12 slices and set aside. Adjust the oven rack to the top position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Carefully rinse the fish and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Place the fish on a large sheet pan and liberally sprinkle both sides with the rub. Drizzle with the oil, then place the orange slices on top of the catfish fillets. Place the sheet pan on the top rack and roast until the catfish is moist and gently flakes, about 8 minutes. (If using a thicker variety of fish such as salmon, the cooking time will be about 12 minutes.)

In a medium bowl, mix the water with the sugar and yeast and let it get bubbly, 2 to 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix the flour with the seasonings. Fold the flour mixture into the yeast mixture and knead until it’s soft and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and set it in a warm area to rise until it’s double in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Separate the dough into 10 portions, rolling each one into a ball, and then, on a floured surface, flatten each to a ¼-inch thickness. Fill a cast-iron skillet halfway with the oil. Heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer, then drop in the bara and cook for 1 minute on each side. They will puff up slightly. Remove the baras from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels.

Rinse the soaked chickpeas well, then drain. Add the chickpeas to a large pot, cover with fresh water, and bring to a boil. Cook the chickpeas until just tender, then drain off most of the liquid, reserving enough to just cover the beans.

In a large deep skillet, add the oil, onion, garlic, curry and cumin and toast until fragrant on medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, then turn off the heat. Add the potatoes and squash to the skillet, coating the ingredients in the curry mixture, then deglaze with the reserved bean liquid, making sure the ingredients are covered. Add the chile (keep whole). Simmer on low heat until all of the ingredients are tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. This filling always tastes better the next day.

Gently warm the tamarind paste in a saucepan, adding the sugar and ¼ cup water at a time, until the sugar has dissolved, being careful not to reduce it; this shouldn’t take longer than 5 minutes. Cool the sauce and serve at room temperature or cold.

Mix the pepper sauce and cucumber. Season with the vinegar. Add the herbs last and mix well. (Don’t add salt because it will break down faster that way.)

Place a bara on a plate, spoon some chickpeas over it, and top with the tamarind sauce and chutney.

Courtesy Oriana Koren