Fish Yassa

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Fish yassa or poisson yassa or caldo is a traditional African dish with origins in The Gambia and Senegal. The dish, a variation on poulet yassa or chicken yassa, is made with a combination of white fish, rice, onions, garlic, mustard, spicy peppers, and lemons. The fish used for yassa is usually sompat or jorto, although it can be replaced with any white flaky fish. It's marinated in a sauce consisting of mustard, garlic, lemon juice, and hot peppers. It is then grilled or fried whole, removed while the onions are sautéed in the pan, and then placed back into the pan and cooked one more time until the onions become tender and the fish is fully cooked. The dish is traditionally served over white rice and it's topped with the spicy mustard marinade. Garnish it with a few lemon wedges on the side.