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Fish, Africa and overseas

Attiéké with grilled fish, tomatoes and onions

Attiéké with grilled fish is an Ivorian dish made with a whole marinated fish, grilled and served over attiéké with tomatoes and raw onions. It serves 4, takes 50 minutes, rates as easy, and costs €4.30 per serving. The key is letting the marinade soak into the scored flesh and the belly of the fish before grilling.

Tonight we're heading to Abidjan with a whole marinated and grilled fish, served on attiéké with tomatoes and raw onions, a real maquis style meal.

Attiéké with grilled fish, tomatoes and onions
Total time
50 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€4.30
Calories per person
640 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

This dish plays on contrast. The fish comes out of the oven well charred and fragrant with ginger and chili, while the attiéké stays light and slightly tangy. Fresh tomatoes and raw onions on the side bring a brightness that wakes up every bite. Nothing simmers for hours here, everything hinges on the marinade and how you grill the fish.

It's the kind of meal you make when you want to break from routine, on a weeknight or a weekend. Kids generally take to attiéké since it's milder than rice, and you can always serve them the fish without the crisped skin if that's too intense for them. For guests, a whole fish on the table makes an impression without demanding hours of work.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Whole sea bream or sea bass 2

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onions 3
  • Tomatoes 4
  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Fresh ginger 1 piece
  • Chili pepper 1
  • Lemon 2

Pantry

  • Stock cubeoften in the pantry 1
  • Sunflower oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Attiéké or medium couscous 400 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Fish

The step by step recipe

  1. Ask your fishmonger to gut and scale the fish, then score the sides.

    Rinse them well inside and pat dry before marinating.

  2. Blend the garlic, ginger, one onion, the chili, the crumbled stock cube, the oil, the lemon, the salt and pepper, then brush the fish with this marinade. 30 min

    Slip a bit of marinade into the belly too, so the fish gets flavored all the way through.

  3. Grill the fish in a hot oven or on a grill, flipping them halfway through cooking. 25 min

    Brush with more marinade during cooking so they stay moist.

  4. Prepare the attiéké by sprinkling it with hot water and fluffing it with a fork, or soak the couscous in salted boiling water. 10 min

    If you can't find attiéké, medium couscous gives a very close result.

  5. Arrange the fish on the attiéké, surround with sliced tomatoes and thinly sliced raw onions, and finish with a squeeze of lemon.

    The raw onions and tomatoes bring the freshness that contrasts with the grilled fish.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick fish of similar size so they finish cooking at the same time in the oven or on the grill.
  • If your attiéké comes very dry, add the hot water gradually so it doesn't turn mushy.
  • Taste the marinade before brushing it on, it needs to be bold since it only lightly flavors the surface of the fish.

The variations

  • Swap the sea bream for mackerel or tilapia, whole fish that hold up well on the grill.
  • For a vegetarian version, keep the attiéké, tomatoes and raw onions, and serve with grilled plantains instead of fish.
  • To save time, cook the fish as fillets in a skillet instead of whole in the oven, cutting the cooking time in half.

What to serve it with

  • A fresh chili hot sauce
  • Fried plantains
  • Fresh ginger juice

Storage

Cooked fish keeps for one day in the fridge in a sealed container, best eaten cold or gently reheated so it doesn't dry out. Attiéké keeps separately for two days and reheats well steamed or in the microwave with a splash of water. This dish doesn't freeze well, since grilled fish and raw vegetables lose their texture.

Questions about this dish

Can you use a different fish instead of sea bream or bass?

Yes, any firm whole fish works, like mackerel or tilapia. Pick one close in size to keep the same cooking time.

How do you make attiéké if you can't find it?

Medium couscous, soaked in salted boiling water, gives a very similar texture and taste. It's actually the alternative suggested directly in the recipe.

Can you make the marinade ahead of time?

Yes, you can blend it the day before and keep it in the fridge in a sealed container. Brush it onto the fish right before grilling.

Does this work for kids who don't like spice?

You can cut back on the chili in the marinade or leave it out entirely without hurting the dish. The attiéké and fresh tomatoes stay mild either way.

How long does it take to make an Ivorian style grilled fish with attiéké, tomatoes and raw onions?

Count 50 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in an Ivorian style grilled fish with attiéké, tomatoes and raw onions?

About 640 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does an Ivorian style grilled fish with attiéké, tomatoes and raw onions cost?

About €4.30 per serving, or €17.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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