Potato Greens

Potato greens is a Liberian stew of sweet potato leaves simmered in red palm oil with onion, chilli and fish. Despite the name, it is made from the leaves of the sweet potato plant, not from the tubers. It is a common home dish in Liberia, and it is usually served as a main course with rice.

What it really is

The leaves are stripped from their stems, washed and chopped fine. They are cooked down slowly in red palm oil with chopped onion and chilli, and fish is added to the pot so that its flavour goes into the sauce. Cooked this way, the greens turn soft and dark, and the palm oil gives the stew its deep red-orange colour. Recipes differ from one household to another, so the amount of oil, chilli and fish can vary from kitchen to kitchen.

How it's served

• Hot, spooned over a mound of plain white rice.
• As a main course, with the fish left in the stew rather than served on a separate plate.
• Shared from one pot at home, or portioned onto plates in a restaurant.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the main parts: sweet potato leaves, red palm oil and fish. Guests who expect potato may otherwise be confused.
• Flag fish as an allergen, and say which fish is used if the kitchen knows it.
• Because the stew is cooked with fish, do not sell it as vegetarian or vegan.
• State the rice or other starch served with it, and whether it is included in the price.
• Say how hot the chilli is, since guests often ask.