Peanut butter is used as a thickener in many dishes such as groundnut chop. Return to Top of Page . Fish Fish can be categorized as fat or lean to help determine the best types to use in a particular recipe. Many of the varieties below are available in African waters, with the broad coastline and several large lakes and rivers. Shellfish such as shrimp, crayfish, crabs and lobster are popular.
Fat fish can tolderate dryer cooking methods such as broiling or baking.
They do not take too well to deep frying or excessive oil. Fat fish often have a strong flavour and are well suited to the spicy sauces of African cooking. Bluefish, mackerel, salmon, shark, swordfish, tuna, trout, whitefish, butterfish, shad, herring and some catfish are among the fat fish. Lean fish are low in fat, and can become very dry if they are not cooked properly or are overcooked. They should be cooked by moist heat methods such as poaching or cooking in a soup or stew, or fried.