Matapa & Garlic Lemon Lobster

Introduced to Africa by adventurers, merchants and slavers  sailing the Western African seaboard, Cassava along with maize, peanuts, tomatoes and pumpkins fast became key components of most African diets in Sub-Saharan Africa. The rapid adoption of these crops into farmer’s portfolio of crops meant that more of the traditional, indigenous crops fell from prominence, for one reason or another. Extrapolated over centuries and we find ourselves curious about the dietary preferences of old, keen to learn of their nutritional significance with the hope that maybe, a return to some of these indigenous food sources would raise the quality of nutrition in the modern day. To illustrate the point, from thousands of vegetables that historically made up diets of old, only three continue to prominently feature in diets today - Cowpea, Yam and Okra. 

The adoption of these crops has also resulted in some truly remarkable culinary innovations across the continent that are truly deserving of the title of traditional dish. Matapa, a typical Mozambican dish prepared with young cassava leaves ground in a mortar and pestle before being cooked with garlic, onion and coconut milk can be counted as one of these classical traditional dishes. Exploding with flavor, the dish can be enjoyed with prawns, crab, rice and yes, even on its own. 

This dish celebrates all that is beautiful about Mozambique. Daily fresh catches of fish, lobster, crab and other seafood brought in from the warm Indian Ocean waters that wash the sandy coast line for 2,500 kilometers of Africa’s eastern coast line. All of this freshly caught produce can be sourced at Maputo’s famous Mercado de Peixe, a recently upgraded but still central fixture in Maputo’s social fabric. A Sunday afternoon visit to the fish market will see you greeted by several enthusiastic “restaurant promoters” promising you the freshest and tastiest catch of the day coupled with as much 2M as your heart desires. Once settled, you’re sure to be kept company by vendors that will punctuate your conversation for you, making the experience that much more interesting, as you interact with the locals stopping by for their Sunday lunch.

Matapa forms the foundation of this dish, easily bridging the divide between the ocean and the mainland, which is represented by the Imbondeiro farofa made of toasted baobab powder instead of cassava, which is what the Brazilian version is made of. The birds eye chilli included in the farofa adds a decidedly Mozambican kick to the dish, bringing all the elements of what is a historically rich and diverse country. 

Sitting at the Mercado de Peixe, overlooking the Indian Ocean and observing the ships sail by, one can’t help but picture Vasco Da Gama’s fleet of four ships, led by the São Gabriel in 1498, a carrack weighing 178 tones with 372 m2 sails, leaving the country in haste for Mombasa, cannon firing after failing to gain the favor of the local population and the Sultan of Mozambique. Vasco Da Gama’s voyages and subsequent establishment of a maritime Spice route certainly laid the foundation for colonization as well as a vast commercial network that extended from Lisbon to Nagasaki via Africa, the Middle East, India and South Asia. 

While there is much that has been written about this period, what is also interesting (and perhaps not as robustly explored) is the cross pollination of ingredients between these territories such that some many may mistake Okra to be an Asian ingredient and Plantain, believed to have originated in Southeast Asia, now considered a staple in significant portions Africa. We’re more connected that we appreciate - we’ve fed and continue to feed each other. While the root is important, it’s the fruit, the fruit that nourishes and sustains us that matters. 

INGREDIENTS

4 lobster tails 
Baobab powder 
Cassava leaves 
Clarified butter 
Coconut milk 
Macadamia nut butter 
Garlic 
Lemon 
Sweet Onion 
Cherry Tomatoes
Bird’s Eye Chilli 
Smoked Fleur De Sel 
Rose petal garnish