Benin- Turkey Meatballs in a Spicy Peanut Sauce

I think the first thing I should say is that we have all been surprised and delighted with food from Africa. Benin was no exception to the matter– a simple looking cuisine that packs anything but simple flavors.

For those of you who don’t know, Benin is a country in West Africa that shares borders with Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. A country that has roughly 44,000 square miles, only 75 miles of coastline, and known most notably to my co-workers as the birthplace of Vodun, which evolved into Voodoo here in the States.

This week we served up a pretty modest menu consisting of:

• Beninese Rice with Shrimp
• Spicy Beans
• Turkey Meatballs in Spicy Peanut Sauce
• Beninese Peanut Stew

Sometimes when we put so few dishes on the table– which was especially the case this week with the stew not finishing in time–  it feels like we might be missing something of the cuisine we are trying to explore. But, many times this apprehension only lives in our own perceptions of the meal. The truth of the matter is that the food we provided explored a variety of Beninese cuisine and flavor profiles.

As a whole, all of our dishes went together very well. This is not always the case. Sometimes our meals end up being very disjointed, even when we try to coalesce them together. But at other times, you can pick up your plate and just feel that the meal is going to touch your soul. This was one of those meals. The dishes all held a soft play on spice dancing across your palate, from the sharp heat off the beans, to the subtle roll of spice coming from the peanut sauce. The spice was coupled with very complex flavor profiles that intrigued you throughout the meal.

I find it funny that I refer to the meal as complex. The heat built in succession, the ingredients added diverse experiences, and the flavor played on your senses; all the while, many of these dishes are simple in nature. It is just that the Beninese pair foods that we may typically not pair together; and they use ingredients that support and contrast each other.

Many times I find other people’s dishes to be my favorite– whether that is because of modesty or honesty I don’t always know– but this week, my dish of meatballs was my favorite and the staple to the meal. Now don’t get me wrong, the sides added to the meal and the stew was exceptional, even if it was late getting done. In fact, it was so exceptional that I took quite a bit home for leftovers– but my dish just offered so much in flavor and experience.

I think it is important to first point out that the recipe is supposed to be made with chicken not turkey. But, turkey was a third the price and, as mentioned in a previous post, sometimes we need to make fiscally prudent decisions with our cooking. Other than that, I tried to stick to the recipe the best I could, minus the large amount of palm oil that was called for. I should also note that I substituted the stand alone peanut sauce recipe for all instructions in the meatball recipe that called for peanut butter.

What took me by surprise the most was the base of the peanut sauce, so much so that this week I’m recreating that same base for a dinner at home. Many times, if you say peanut sauce, people think of Thai food. Granted, in some aspects, Beninese peanut sauce is similar, but for the most part it isn’t. Beninese peanut sauce relies heavily on the astringent quality of onions, with an intense introduction of heat from chiles. These two ingredients are pureed together and then cooked down before adding a healthy dose of peanut butter and a little bit of liquid. I think we probably ate a good half of a cup straight from the pan before mixing the rest into the recipes!

The peanut sauce base was added to both the meatballs and their sauce, all of which was simmered together and served with each other. The featured picture of this post is of those meatballs sitting atop the peanut stew. The best of both worlds!

Many times, when we prepare for countries like Benin, people have a look of “what?” or they make sharp stereotyping comments such as, “I guess we’re having lion,” rather than recognizing Africa as a continent of many unique countries. The reality is, a great culinary tradition exists in each African country’s distinct culture. 

I think I’ve said it before, but I enjoy countries like Benin over the “easy” countries like Poland or Australia. I only hope that through this blog I can share a bit of these countries’ food culture with you. We may not hit the nail right on the head, but we try our hardest to do the best we can while cooking in a shop and for a crowd.