Nigerian 'Concept' Dish: Dry Fish Skin-Local Jollof 'Sushi'

The Concept

This concept is about sushi, Japanese rice rolls. Years ago, I attended a sushi workshop in the Netherlands and fell in love with the perfect bites of rice wrapped in seaweed sheets.

Here, I’ve combined ‘traditional’, palm-oil based flavours using gorgeous dry fish skin instead of the nori sheets, smoky rice and fresh herbs to create delicious rolls.

Local Jollof

Using dry fish skin as a vehicle for more

The Elements

We’re talking crisp and crunchy, soft and chewy, smoky. Here’s what went into mine:

Dry Fish skin, washed, trimmed and set aside which became the ‘seaweed sheets’. I made some with scent leaves laid on, and some without. I thought I’d up the herby, citrusy flavours.
Local Jollof, Palm-oil Jollof is a specialty, a delicacy. I love to make mine with lots of scent leaves with flaked dry fish folded in.
Scent leaves

To serve/ garnish:

Dry fish skin crisp, like chicharrones and Dambun Kifi – dry fish meat floss, basically spiced flaked dry fish, fried till crispy and deep fried scent leaves

Hot sauce
Herbs to garnish

Prep & Plating

I cooked the rice, cleaned my fish skin then laid out some cling film.

Fish skin went on the clingfilm and then I part-lined the fish skin with fresh scent leaves.

Next, I place some rice in the skin and made a roll.

Which then got wrapped in the clingfilm, like a sausage. I put it in the freezer for a few hours because I wanted it to ‘set’ and hold. Once it was time to plate, I warmed the roll in a saucepan of water till it was heated through, about 5 – 8 minutes.