Name: Ata Dindin Pepper-Glazed Trout with Baobab-Citrus Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 cup chopped tomato; 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped; 1/2 scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and chopped; 1/2 onion, chopped; 1 clove garlic; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 salt; 4 trout fillets (about 500g total); 1 salt and pepper; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 orange, peeled and segmented; 1 grapefruit, peeled and segmented; 2 tsp baobab powder; 2 cups arugula or mixed greens; 1 tsp olive oil; 1 pinch salt

Ata dindin, a slow-fried Nigerian pepper sauce built from tomatoes, red bell peppers, and scotch bonnet, usually simmers meat or fish low and slow. Here it's reduced into a quicker glaze for pan-seared trout, keeping the same rich, peppery flavor in a fraction of the time.

Trout brings a good dose of omega-3 fats to the plate, and it's finished with a salad of orange and grapefruit segments tossed with baobab powder — a tangy, vitamin C-rich fruit powder increasingly available in African and specialty grocers. Together, the citrus and baobab bring in antioxidant-rich vitamin C, one of several nutrients often mentioned alongside skin-friendly eating.

If baobab powder isn't available, a squeeze of extra lime and a spoonful of ground hibiscus make a reasonable stand-in. Serve the whole plate with a small side of rice or on its own for a lighter meal.

Ingredients

For the glaze

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and chopped — adjust to taste
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 salt — to taste

For the fish

4 trout fillets (about 500g total)
1 salt and pepper — to taste
1 tbsp olive oil — for searing

For the salad

1 orange, peeled and segmented
1 grapefruit, peeled and segmented
2 tsp baobab powder
2 cups arugula or mixed greens
1 tsp olive oil
1 pinch salt

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Where to find these ingredients

Most ingredients here are everyday market staples across West Africa. A handful of specialty items may be easiest to find at a local open-air market or an African grocery store if you're elsewhere.

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