Okok

Okok is a Gabonese stew of gnetum leaves simmered in palm-kernel sauce, usually with smoked fish.

Okok is eaten in Gabon and is also made in neighbouring Cameroon, so it is a shared dish rather than the property of one kitchen. The leaves give the stew its substance, and the palm-kernel sauce gives it richness. Onion and chilli season the pot, so the chilli adds a little heat without making the dish fiery.

What it really is

Gnetum leaves are shredded and simmered until soft in a sauce built from ground palm kernels. Smoked fish goes into the pot for its smoky, savoury flavour, with onion and chilli. Because it cooks slowly in liquid rather than being fried, the leaves stay soft and the stew stays thick and green. The proportions of leaf, palm-kernel sauce and fish vary a great deal from cook to cook.

Okok is built on vegetables but is not vegetarian in its classic form. The smoked fish is part of the stew, not a garnish.

How it's served

• Hot, ladled over a starch, usually cassava or rice.
• As a main course, with the starch making up the bulk of the plate.
• In a deep bowl or on a plate, with the sauce spooned over the starch.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the main ingredient: gnetum leaves, cooked in palm-kernel sauce with smoked fish.
• Flag fish as an allergen, since it is in the classic recipe, and state it on the menu line.
• Name the starch served with it, since guests usually want to know what the stew comes with.
• Say that it is a Gabonese dish also made in Cameroon if you want the origin on the menu.
• Note the chilli, and ask the kitchen whether any other seafood is added so the allergen line stays accurate.
• Do not label it vegetarian, because the smoked fish makes it unsuitable for vegetarians.