Lake Kariba, the vast lake created when the Kariba Dam was built across the Zambezi, gave Zimbabwe two great gifts for the table. One is kapenta, the tiny silver fish that are dried and fried by the sackful. The other is bream, the name Zimbabweans give to the tilapia of the lake and their close relatives, a firm, sweet, white fleshed fish that is one of the best loved sources of protein in the country. On the shores of the lake it is grilled whole over open coals or fried in a pan, and it travels inland to markets and kitchens across the country.

Fried bream is the version most families make at home: scaled, gutted, seasoned and coated, then fried until the skin is crisp and the flesh just flakes from the bone. It comes to the table with a simple relish of tomato and onion and a mound of sadza, the stiff maize porridge that is eaten with the fingers and used to scoop up everything else. Eating a whole fish with your hands takes a little practice, and gives you an excellent excuse to slow down. With lemon squeezed over and a little chilli on the side, it is a plate that needs no explaining.

The fried bream

Ingredients

• 2 whole (about 1 1/2 lb / 700 g each) bream or tilapia
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (95 g) all purpose flour
• about 1 cup (240 ml) sunflower or vegetable oil
• 1 lemon

Method

1. Rinse the fish inside and out under cold water, and rub the inside along the backbone with your thumb to remove any dark blood. Snip off any remaining spiky fins with the scissors. Pat the fish completely dry with paper towels, inside and out.
2. With the sharp knife, make three diagonal cuts on each side of each fish, about 1/2 inch (1 cm) deep, down to but not through the bone. If your pan is small, cut each fish in half across the middle as well.
3. Mix the salt, 1 teaspoon of the paprika, the garlic powder and pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle the lemon juice over the fish, then rub the spice mixture all over, pushing it into the cuts and the belly. Leave for 10 minutes.
4. Beat the eggs in one shallow dish. Mix the flour with the remaining 1 teaspoon of paprika and a pinch of salt in the other. Dip each fish into the egg, turning it over and letting the excess drip off, then lay it in the flour and press gently to coat both sides and inside the cuts. Shake off the loose flour.
5. Pour oil into the frying pan to a depth of about 1/3 inch (8 mm) and heat over medium high heat.
6. Lay the fish in the pan gently, moving it away from you so any splashes go the other way. Turn the heat down to medium. Fry without moving it for 6 to 8 minutes for a whole fish, or 5 to 6 minutes for halves.
7. Turn the fish carefully, using two spatulas for a whole fish, and turn it only once to avoid breaking it. Fry the second side for 6 to 8 minutes. Lift it onto the paper towels to drain.

Tomato and onion relish

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sunflower or vegetable oil
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1 small fresh green or red chilli
• 3 medium ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Method

1. Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, green pepper and chilli and cook, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes.
2. Add the grated tomatoes, water and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring now and then, for 10 to 12 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed.

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