Kenkey with Red Snapper Fish and Shrimps

This is the traditional kenkey dish as I know it.

The legendary Nigerian author, Chinua Achebe once said, “when a tradition gathers enough strength to go on for centuries, you don’t just turn it off one day.” There may be a few modifications and combinations here and there, but this old faithful meal remains as resolute in taste as it was all those centuries ago.

This is what I grew up on. Red snapper seemed the most popular fish and as a coastal boy shrimps and most other crustaceans were my staples. For millennia this was the main meal for the coastal people of present day Accra, Ghana. The shrimps and fish are both deep fried and garnished with cut onions and tomatoes. Kpakpo shito and shito din are the traditional sauces that go with Kenkey with fish and shrimps.