Avocado Stuffed with Smoked Fish (West Africa)
Submitted by bookseller
Avocado stuffed with smoked fish is a West African appetizer of flaked smoked whitefish bound in a creamy sieved-yolk dressing, mounded into ripe avocado halves, and crowned with red pepper strips. Striking, elegant, no cooking.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
0 minREADY
15 minAvocado stuffed with smoked fish is a striking West African appetizer that turns three simple ingredients (eggs, smoked fish, and ripe avocado) into something that looks like it belongs at a hotel garden party. The smoked fish gets bound in a homemade hollandaise-style yolk emulsion, mounded into avocado halves, and finished with red pepper strips draped diagonally across the top.
The yolk-and-oil dressing is the cornerstone technique here, and it’s essentially a cooked-yolk mayonnaise. Hard-boiled yolks get sieved smooth, mashed with milk to a paste, then whisked with vegetable oil and olive oil drop by drop, just like making mayonnaise from scratch. The result is silky, glossy, and binds the smoked fish without any raw egg risk.
Using smoked whitefish (rather than smoked salmon or tuna) is traditional and the right call. The flaky, mild texture of whitefish complements the avocado without overwhelming it. Smoked salmon overpowers; smoked tuna gets dry and stringy.
Lime juice (not lemon) is intentional and very West African. Lime gives a sharper, more tropical tang that plays beautifully with the smoky fish and creamy avocado. Substituting lemon makes the dish taste more European than African.
Pro Tips
- Sieve the yolks through a fine-mesh strainer using the back of a spoon. This removes any chalky bits and creates the silkiest possible base for the dressing.
- Add the oils drop by drop initially, then in a slow stream once the emulsion forms. Adding too fast breaks the dressing and leaves you with greasy yolks.
- Pick through the fish carefully for tiny pin bones. Smoked whitefish almost always has stragglers, and one bite of bone ruins the whole appetizer.
- Cut the avocados only at the moment of serving. The acid in the dressing slows browning slightly but won’t prevent it for long.
- Serve immediately. The smoked fish and avocado are at their best fresh, both visually and texturally.
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
- the yolks rubbed through a sieve and the whites finely chopped.
In a deep bowl, mash the egg yolks and milk together with a spoon or table fork until they form a smooth paste. Add 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, the sugar and the salt.
Then beat in the vegetable oil, a teaspoon or so at a time; make sure each addition is absorbed before adding more. Add the olive oil by teaspoonfuls, beating constantly. Stir the remaining lime juice into the sauce and taste for seasoning.
With your fingers or a small knife, remove the skin from the fish and pick out any bones. Drop the fish into a bowl and flake it finely with a fork. Add the chopped egg whites and the sauce, and toss together gently but thoroughly.
Just before serving, cut the avocados in half. With the tip of a small knife, loosen the seeds and lift them out. Remove any brown tissue like fibers clinging to the flesh.
Spoon the fish mixture into the avocado halves, dividing it equally among them and mounding it slightly in the center. Arrange 3 strips of sweet pepper or pimiento diagonally across the top of each avocado and serve at once.
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