Moyo (Beninese Fried Fish with Onion and Tomato Sauce)
In short: Whole fish fried until crisp and served with moyo, a quick sauce of soft onions, ripe tomatoes and fresh chili cooked in a little oil. It takes about 1 h 5 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Resting
- 15 min
- Total
- 1 h 5 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 490 kcal
Moyo is a Beninese sauce of onions, tomatoes and chili, cooked briefly in oil so the vegetables stay soft but still taste fresh. The usual partner is fried fish, and it also goes with chicken, fried plantain and the maize pastes eaten across the south. The sauce itself takes about 20 minutes, so most of the effort goes into frying the fish until the skin is crisp.
Instructions
- Cut 3 diagonal slits into each side of the fish. Rub the fish inside and out with the garlic, ginger, salt and pepper and leave for 15 minutes.
- Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Heat the frying oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat to 175°C (350°F).
- Fry the fish two at a time for 5 to 6 minutes per side, spooning hot oil over the top, until the skin is golden and crisp and the flesh flakes at the thickest part. Drain on a wire rack.
- Pour off the frying oil, leaving 3 tablespoons (45 ml) in the skillet. Add the onions and salt and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring often, until soft and lightly golden.
- Add the tomatoes and chilies and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the tomatoes soften and most of their liquid has cooked off.
- Spoon the hot moyo over the fish or serve it alongside, with rice, fried plantain or akassa.
Tips
- Dry the fish well before it goes into the oil. Wet skin spatters and steams instead of crisping.
- For a hotter moyo, leave the seeds in the chilies or add an extra one. Keep the sauce chunky rather than blending it, so it tastes fresh.
Questions and answers
What is moyo?
Moyo is a Beninese sauce of onions, tomatoes and chili cooked briefly in oil. It is the usual partner for fried fish and is also served with chicken, fried plantain and maize paste.
Which fish works best for moyo?
Any small whole fish with firm flesh, such as tilapia, porgy, sea bream or mackerel. Thick fillets of snapper or catfish also work, with a shorter frying time.
Can I make moyo ahead?
Yes. It keeps in the fridge for 3 days and reheats well in a small pan with a splash of water. Fry the fish just before serving so the skin stays crisp.
How long does it take to make Moyo (Beninese Fried Fish with Onion and Tomato Sauce)?
About 1 h 5 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Moyo (Beninese Fried Fish with Onion and Tomato Sauce)?
About 490 kcal per serving, with 34 g of protein, 22 g of carbohydrates and 29 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 490 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 34 g |
| Carbohydrates | 22 g |
| Fat | 29 g |
| Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 10 g |
| Sodium | 880 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
