WOMAN: And now Signature Dish, a WETA original series.

SETH: Today on Signature Dish, we're celebrating the cuisine of West Africa.

PRINCE: You have to make sure you're scooping not dipping, otherwise, you will not get any sauce.

SETH: Oh, I'll get all this good sauce.

After digging into a delicious and surprisingly healthy stew, we'll enjoy some chicken smothered in seasoning.

BINETTE: When you want to cook Yassa, you're going to need a lot of ingredients.

SETH: It's going to be a lot of really bold flavors.

Before getting our hands messy with a dish that's simply one of a kind.

HATIB: The Ebbeh is just a unique dish.

In Gambia we have an abundance of seafood.

SETH: Oh, that is a thing of beauty.

Wow!

I'm Seth Tillman, WETA producer and DC native and I love good food.

That's why I'm traveling to restaurants across the DMV, at each stop looking for the one thing you just gotta try: That Signature Dish.

I'm first off to the corner of 9th & U Streets Northwest, to begin my journey through the unique flavors, colors, and textures of West African cuisine.

PRINCE: I'm from Ghana, West Africa and came to Washington about 23 years ago.

I worked in a restaurant when I first came to Washington.

I realized there was a lot of demand for Ghanaian cuisine which wasn't properly offered.

So when the opportunity opened up here on 9th Street, You know, I took it up and I started cooking Ghanaian dishes here.

Obviously, the Ethiopians have dominated the market in Washington DC.

So that has actually given the perception that African food is only Ethiopian.

I do like Ethiopian food, but establishing Appioo is also a way of introducing the West African cuisine, so people can also realize that we have Ghanaian, Nigerian, Sierra Leone also available.

Appioo is the short name for Akpeteshie.

Akpeteshie is like the national drink of Ghana.

So in Ghana, usually people get off of their nine to five by going to the bars, drinking Appioo, you know, palm wine and getting good food.

So Appioo is representing that culture here in Washington DC.

SETH: I'm meeting Prince today to learn about egusi, a stew popular across West Africa, that is thickened with an unexpected ingredient.

Prince.

PRINCE: Hi Seth.

SETH: Hey, nice to meet you.

PRINCE: Pleasure.

SETH: Thank you so much for having me.

PRINCE: Welcome to Appioo.

SETH: Well, thank you.

And I see some hot peppers.

That's always exciting.

And some green veggies.

I don't see enough of those on this show.

But I'm looking right in the middle here and I see a big ol' plate of seeds.

What am I looking at?

PRINCE: These are the melon seeds.

We call them egusi, which we're going to use in our Signature Dish today.

SETH: I don't really, would normally not think of seeds as kind of being a key ingredient in a dish.

What kind of flavor do these bring?

PRINCE: So these melon seeds are very nutritious.

It has a lot of protein and also some good fat.

It has a little bitterness to it.

And that is why we are going to use the spices to kind of bring some flavor out of it.

SETH: So it's a melon seed stew?

PRINCE: Right.

SETH: So how do these actually get cooked into the dish?

PRINCE: So, Seth, before you got here, we had started preparing the base for this egusi.

We blend the habanero peppers, onions, ginger, garlic, and fresh tomatoes.

And then we stew it in the palm oil for a while.

We take the melon seeds, we blend them with water with a little salt, to create a paste that goes in the sauce.

And then when it's cooked, we set it aside and then we sauté the spinach as well.

So, follow me out there and I'll show you how this is done.

SETH: Okay.

Oh, all right.

So this is the paste you were talking about?

PRINCE: Yes.

SETH: Okay.

So all the stuff on top, that's all the ground up melon seed?

PRINCE: Yes.

The first thing is I'm going to turn on the heat.

Yep.

It's nice and hot.

Then I'm going to put in the palm oil.

Then I'm going to put in some garlic, a little ginger, some onions in here.

SETH: I love the color the palm oil immediately gives the dish.

PRINCE: Then we put some green peppers, and some red peppers.

Then we stir it up.

Of course, we add on our secret spice.

There's one very special ingredient that usually goes in here.

The English name is xylopia and it's very special.

So at this point, we can add in our spinach, and let it cook.

So at this point, we can put in the egusi.

SETH: All right.

So you're going to mix the melon seed paste into the dish?

PRINCE: Right.

With this quantity of spinach, you might need about three scoops.

SETH: This is a complicated process.

A lot of different steps involved.

PRINCE: Yes.

So, for a lot of people, this would be the end of it.

This would be the egusi vegetarian dish.

SETH: That's your doing, right?

Because if we were back in Ghana, a lot of times there would be meat in this dish from the get-go.

PRINCE: From the beginning.

From the start.

SETH: Okay.

PRINCE: So I'm going to scoop out the vegetarian part, for myself.

I'll leave this here.

And then now we can scoop some goat in there.

SETH: It doesn't just have to be goat, right?

PRINCE: No.

SETH: If I wanted to get this with ...

PRINCE: Any kind of meat you want.

A lot of people prefer fish, chicken, beef, but my favorite is goat.

SETH: And why do you like goat so much?

PRINCE: Goat is a lean meat and it has a lot of flavor.

I like flavorful meat, and lean meat.

SETH: Well, that's a good combination.

PRINCE: Okay.

From here, we're going to plate it on the table, and going to try it out with some fufu.

SETH: Well, I cannot wait to try it.

Thanks chef.

PRINCE: You're welcome.

SETH: As I head back to the table, Prince shapes the fufu, a starchy dough made from boiled plantains that we'll use to scoop our egusi.

PRINCE: Thank you for coming to Appioo today.

In front of you is a calabash with Akpeteshie, the Appioo, which starts the party.

SETH: Let's start the party, cheers to that.

Woo!

I am ready for the party to begin, chef.

PRINCE: So as a tradition, water is provided to wash our hands.

SETH: And chef, how am I even ...

I don't have a knife and fork.

How am I even going to begin to attack this thing?

PRINCE: Well, with your fingers, washed fingers, you're going to have to dig the fufu.

You just watch me, like this.

SETH: Little pinch.

All right.

Mix it around.

Oh, it's nice.

PRINCE: Yeah.

SETH: Nice and elastic.

PRINCE: Almost like you're making a hole.

SETH: Okay.

PRINCE: To pick up the egusi.

You have to make sure you're scooping not dipping, otherwise, you will not get any sauce.

SETH: Oh, I'll get all this good sauce.

PRINCE: You need the sauce.

SETH: All right, here we go.

Hmm!

Oh, that is terrific chef.

Any bitterness from those seeds has been eliminated by all those spices.

The freshness of all those vegetables.

It's got a little bit of heat to it too.

PRINCE: Yep.

The habanero pepper is giving the heat.

SETH: Yeah, for sure.

And to have the fufu so spongy and elastic.

PRINCE: Right.

SETH: Great little utensil for scooping this up.

That's terrific.

PRINCE: I see you can't stop eating.

SETH: No, once you get started ...

I'm even going to get a little bit of the goat in this bite too.

PRINCE: Right.

SETH: Hmm.

That goat, so good.

But you prefer it just straight vegetarian?

PRINCE: Yes, I do.

I feel like I've had a lot of meat in my life, and I eat meat with other stuff like pepper soup.

I prefer meat in the pepper soup, but with the egusi I like the loaded veggies without the meat.

SETH: It's nice to have a nice, veggie-heavy dish, but I still know I'm only getting like half the experience though.

I'm guessing I got to come back here when there's some music going and this place is really bopping.

PRINCE: You should.

Because, like I said, our slogan is: you forgetting your nine to five.

I'll be looking forward to seeing you on a Friday evening.

Join us for the party.

Live music, take some shot of Appioo to start the party, and let the egusi keep it going.

SETH: I'll be back.

Thanks chef.

PRINCE: Thank you.

You're welcome.

SETH: Appreciate it.

After Appioo, I'm heading to Prince George's County.

Right in the heart of Hyattsville's Gateway Arts District is Chez Dior, a go-to spot for authentic Senegalese fare.

MAMADOU: I came from Senegal in Dakar, the capital.

When we first time came here, the only Senegalese restaurant was in Baltimore.

So when you order food, it may take all day long before they deliver.

That's very much where opening a restaurant came from.

BINETTE: Senegalese cuisine is very rich cuisine.

We have the best cuisine in all African countries.

It's not because I'm from Senegal, but African people already know that.

Because sometimes when I tell somebody I'm from Senegal, first thing they're going to tell me, "Oh my God, can I have some of your food?"

And I know, Mamadou, he's a good manager.

And I'm a good cooker.

When you open Chez Dior Restaurant, it is going to be boom.

SETH: I'm heading to Chez Dior to meet Mamadou and Binette, and try their yassa chicken, a quintessential Senegalese dish.

Mamadou.

MAMADOU: Hey.

SETH: Hey.

MAMADOU: How are you?

Good to see you.

SETH: Good to see you as well.

MAMADOU: Good.

SETH: And I'm excited about coming here because I want to learn more about Senegalese cuisine and I know there really aren't all that many Senegalese restaurants in the area.

MAMADOU: That's right.

Eight years ago, we were the only one.

But right now there is couple.

Trying to bring more Senegalese cuisine in the DMV.

SETH: Well, I'm excited to learn more about what that cuisine is all about.

MAMADOU: Why don't you head to the kitchen?

My partner Binette is there to prepare a Signature Dish.

SETH: Well, I like the sound of that.

I will catch you back at the table.

MAMADOU: Definitely.

SETH: Thanks Mamadou.

MAMADOU: Sure.

Okay.

SETH: Binette.

BINETTE: Yes.

SETH: Nice to meet you.

BINETTE: Nice meeting you too.

How are you?

SETH: I'm good.

I'm good.

I see some drumsticks.

I see a lot of onions, I can imagine there are a lot of tears when that's getting cut.

BINETTE: Yes.

SETH: And some beautiful peppers and spices.

What's this going to make today?

BINETTE: Today I'm going to make Yassa chicken because it's a very popular dish, because now everybody cooking it because it so delicious.

SETH: The word got out.

BINETTE: Yeah, they got it from us.

But it's okay, we happy for that.

SETH: And so what makes the dish yassa?

What is yassa?

BINETTE: Oh, yassa, when you want to cook yassa, you're going to need a lot of chicken.

You're going to need onion, and you're going to need the spices.

You're going to need a black pepper, mustard.

SETH: So you're going to start by spicing this chicken here?

BINETTE: Yes.

I'm going to start with the salt.

Now I'm going to use my hot sauce powder.

My secret seasoning.

SETH: Your secret seasoning?

Okay.

BINETTE: Yes.

This is garlic powder, the black pepper, my blenaje.

Is like a green pepper, and yellow pepper, and jalapeño, white vinegar.

SETH: This platter is so pretty right now.

It's almost going to be a shame to mix it.

BINETTE: It's pretty, and we do not mix it yet.

My mustard, you're going to just put a little bit, because if you put a lot when you grill it, you can burn your chicken.

Yes.

And the next is my lemon.

SETH: Next time I'm cooking chicken at home, I'm not going to skimp on the seasoning.

Because I can tell this is going to make ... Add so much flavor to this dish.

BINETTE: Yeah.

Try it next time when you do your chicken.

You're going to like it.

SETH: You've given me the courage.

BINETTE: Yes.

SETH: To go over the top.

And so now you're going to mix these together?

BINETTE: Yeah, I'm going to mix it together now.

You see how the colors start changing?

SETH: Oh, yeah.

BINETTE: Yes.

When you mix it, don't put a lot of the powder pepper, because number one, it can make your chicken too red, and it's not supposed to be too red.

Number two, it can be very spicy, and it's not everybody likes spicy.

SETH: Okay, well I don't mind.

Do you personally like it spicy?

BINETTE: Oh, I do.

If I come to your house, you give me food with no spice, I'm not going to eat it.

SETH: You might be disappointed if you came over to my house.

BINETTE: Oh, try to give me hot pepper because I like it.

SETH: All right.

So this is all mixed, super well-seasoned.

What's the next step for this process?

BINETTE: Okay.

Then I'm going to go back to grill my chicken.

And when I'm grilling, I'm going to have a very nice smoking from the grill.

That's why I don't put it on the oven, because if you put it on the oven, you're not going to have that smoke.

And the smoke is very important for yassa.

So now I'm going to go start seasoning my onion, just a little bit.

When I finish grilling the chicken, I'm going to come to my onion.

I'm going to join the chicken with the onion and leave it there for 15 to 20 minutes.

At this, that juice from the onion can go inside the chicken.

And we're done.

SETH: Guys, this looks so good.

Binette, that huge tray of onions, I can see is cooked down to create this beautiful sort of sauce for the chicken.

I see also this white rice, but I'm really curious about this beautiful rice right in front of me.

MAMADOU: Yeah.

That beautiful rice is called jollof rice, which a lot of African countries claim to get the best one, but jollof is originally in Senegal.

SETH: Ah, so Senegal is the original jollof rice.

MAMADOU: Absolutely.

SETH: And the best?

BINETTE: Yes.

Jollof Rice in Senegal is the best.

Did you see the way I decorate it?

I decorate it in Senegal flag.

I have green, yellow and red in Senegal flag.

SETH: The colors of Senegal.

It's beautiful, but you know, I'm hungry.

So why don't we dig into this yassa right here?

MAMADOU: Let me serve you.

SETH: Oh, thank you so much.

Can't wait to try one of these drumsticks.

MAMADOU: I must serve myself, man.

BINETTE: Ladies first.

SETH: Okay.

MAMADOU: Perfect.

SETH: Oh, wow!

MAMADOU: Let me give you more sauce.

SETH: Oh, the sauce is the best part?

MAMADOU: The sauce is the best part, yeah.

SETH: I can tell this chicken's just falling off the bone which is always good.

Hmm!

MAMADOU: You like it?

SETH: Do I like it?

That is delicious.

MAMADOU: Perfect.

SETH: The pungency too of that mustard, clearly all the seasonings that you put on... that is delicious, delicious meat.

I need to take another bite of it and this time I'm going to taste it with a little bit of the jollof rice as well.

MAMADOU: Work well together?

SETH: They do work really well together.

I can see why.

MAMADOU: Perfect.

SETH: And like you said, I mean, it's actually not really that spicy of a dish.

I know, I imagine there're a few people who like it a little spicier than this.

BINETTE: Yes.

Some people don't want spicy.

That's why we always have a spice on the side.

SETH: Oh.

BINETTE: Like if you want extra spicy, you can use that.

But be careful with that as well.

SETH: Be careful?

BINETTE: It's hot.

SETH: Well, I'll probably end up getting a little more than I bargained for here, but is this habanero peppers?

MAMADOU: That's habanero pepper.

BINETTE: A little bit.

A little bit.

MAMADOU: That's red hot.

SETH: Is this too much?

BINETTE: Very hot.

It's very hot.

SETH: Mmm, mm!

Oh, you weren't joking.

BINETTE: I know.

SETH: That.

Woo!

I've had some habanero before, but that is ... BINETTE: You want to drink something little bit?

Yes.

SETH: Well, a drink might help.

I can see why you want to leave that on the side for the people who want it.

BINETTE: Yes, because it's very hot.

MAMADOU: It is hot.

It is hot, yeah.

SETH: Oh, but that's refreshing.

BINETTE: That helps, right?

SETH: That helps.

That helps big time.

Well, thank you guys so much for introducing me to this cuisine.

I'm glad I don't have to drive all the way to Baltimore to try real Senegalese food.

BINETTE: Oh, thank you so much for coming.

We were very happy today to have you here.

SETH: I'll be back.

BINETTE: Thank you.

MAMADOU: Thank you.

BINETTE: We hope to see you next time.

SETH: For my last stop, I'm off to Takoma Park.

Tucked away on a quiet, mostly residential street, is the Gambian restaurant, Mansa Kunda.

HATIB: Well, I was born in The Gambia, and I came to the US when I was 18 years old in search of education, and also greener pastures.

Back home they'll say that my umbilical cord was buried in The Gambia.

So regardless of me being an American citizen now, part of me still is in The Gambia.

So prior to Mansa Kunda, I spent 22 years as the operations manager at a Spring Mill Bread Company.

I start realizing that there's a vacuum for an African restaurant in the area.

I wanted to create an environment where if you come inside the restaurant, for a moment or two, only two hours while you are here, you feel like you're outside of America.

You'll be so mesmerized that your worries are left outside.

For a moment, we'll drive you through the landscape of The Gambia, and you'll see exactly how the other half lives.

SETH: Hatib.

HATIB: Seth.

SETH: Nice to meet you.

HATIB: Nice to meet you.

Welcome to Mansa Kunda.

SETH: Thanks for having me.

It's a beautiful, beautiful spot.

HATIB: Thank you very much.

I like hearing that.

SETH: But I got to ask, Mansa Kunda, I don't even know what that means.

HATIB: Mansa Kunda in Mandingo means "the kingdom."

Mansa means "king" and Kunda is "domain."

SETH: Now I gotta say, I don't know too much about The Gambia, but I'm certainly excited to try the food.

HATIB: You aren't alone.

Gambia is a very tiny country, the size of Delaware, with an opening on the Atlantic Ocean, so we do have a lot of seafood.

And the dish that I would like for you to try, has a seafood base of course, and it's called Ebbeh.

Why don't you come let me show you how it's made.

SETH: Let's do it.

So what is this, Hatib?

HATIB: So this is the Yucca, actually it's a very common root in The Gambia.

It's the key ingredient that we use to thicken the broth of the Ebbeh.

SETH: So you're not using roux, you're not using okra, you're literally just going to blend this with water and that's going to create the nice thick base?

HATIB: You'll be surprised at the things that come out of Africa.

In fact, boiling it to where it gets really thick, you can also use it to starch your shirt.

SETH: Starch?

HATIB: I'm very serious.

SETH: Well let's, we'll stick with the food today.

You're going to blend this up, but how are we going to actually flavor this dish?

HATIB: So, we use actually these ingredients: which is the salt, that's powdered smoked catfish.

This is lemon juice.

This is pureed habanero peppers.

And this is actually a spice that I mix by myself.

And this is pure tamarind.

SETH: Tamarind.

HATIB: It gives it also the tangy flavor that you need.

And then we have obviously fresh crabs.

SETH: Love crabs.

HATIB: And then the shrimp also.

SETH: And this is the ... HATIB: And this is crab meat.

SETH: Oh, so we got crab two ways.

HATIB: Now, but before we get into that, make sure that our broth is thickened and ready to go.

What we do is, we just fish out the yucca, and start cutting it.

SETH: Just breaking it apart.

HATIB: Breaking it apart, yeah.

So, not all the way because you want to see some in the dish when you're done.

SETH: But you don't want it to have that totally consistent texture.

You want little chunks.

HATIB: Exactly.

And the more we break the yucca, the more you see that the water itself begins to really, really thicken.

Right now, we're at the process where we can start flavoring the dish.

I will start with the tamarind.

Then, we'll take some of the spices that I mixed together.

Then we do the smoked fish.

SETH: And in Gambia, instead of the powder, they would actually be using actual smoke... HATIB: Exactly.

Actual smoked catfish, yes.

Then we do the lemon juice.

Okay, so this is the heat that goes into it.

I will just add a little bit to it and that should be enough for now.

SETH: A little goes a long way.

HATIB: Yeah.

Here's what the secret ingredient is I've been hiding from you.

SETH: Oh, the secret ingredient?

HATIB: Yes, it's the palm oil.

It gives it the flavor and the color.

It doesn't require a lot.

And that's basically all we need.

SETH: This is kind of bright orange sort of kind of electric color, this is not something that you see in a lot of dishes.

This is... HATIB: No, no, no.

Palm oil is actually very unique.

We use it with actually a lot of dishes back home.

It's like I said, in Gambia, we have an abundance of seafood.

And this is a time when I start to add the crab, the shrimp, everything that goes into that to make it a complete dish.

SETH: Well, I can't wait.

I'm going to head back to the table and let you work your magic.

HATIB: Thank you so much.

SETH: Thanks chef.

HATIB: The Ebbeh is just a unique dish that you do not find somewhere else, unless you cook it at home or come to Mansa Kunda Restaurant, in this area, to eat it.

So I'm very proud of it.

In this restaurant for plating, we do tend to add some of the seafood later.

The dish is not centered around the crab, it's centered around the broth.

The thick broth that is created by the yucca.

So the crab is there to enhance the dish but the richness of that broth is something that is just to die for.

Okay.

So Seth, traditionally, we eat with our hands.

So I'm going to put you through process of hand washing, and then once we are done, then we can go ahead.

So you dig in first, put your hands in, and make sure you use some of that lemon.

SETH: Lemon fresh and ready to go.

The whole soup I'm eating with my hands or can I at least use the spoon for the broth?

HATIB: You will use your spoon also.

SETH: Okay.

HATIB: Very happy to eat the broth with your... SETH: Oh, that is a thing of beauty.

Wow!

And you know, I'm a Maryland kid.

So anytime I see crab on the top of a dish, I'm happy.

HATIB: I'm glad.

Dig in, let me see.

SETH: Hmm!

HATIB: What do you think?

SETH: Oh, it's wonderful.

It's got the heat, but it's got the lemon, the lemon juice.

It's a really bright sort of fresh broth.

And even a little bit of that smokiness that I think comes from the catfish.

HATIB: Oh, good.

SETH: That's excellent.

HATIB: Let's, shall I see you dig in with the... SETH: The hands?

HATIB: The hands.

Yeah.

So, shrimp's a shrimp.

I'm sure you've actually pulled shrimp before.

It's just that this time, you dunk it in.

There you go.

Voilà!

SETH: The shrimp and the broth together.

HATIB: There you go.

SETH: Great combination.

I'm just going to leave my hands messy.

HATIB: Yeah.

SETH: Just the way they are.

HATIB: Exactly, yeah.

So basically with crabs, you take in, obviously, just like you would, break it, and just ... SETH: You got it.

HATIB: Just ... SETH: Oh, I'd lose my Maryland card if I couldn't break open a crab.

HATIB: Very good.

There you go.

You just ... SETH: The teeth are doing the work there.

HATIB: The teeth are doing the work.

And now you know, and feel free at any point to just dunk in and, yeah.

SETH: Any way you can get that broth in.

HATIB: Any way you can get that broth in.

Just keep peeling away.

Oh, you know how to eat crab anyway.

SETH: Yeah.

I mean, it usually has a little Old Bay on it.

HATIB: So, how is it?

SETH: Just delicious.

It looks like a gumbo, but it has this flavor.

HATIB: Totally different flavor, yeah.

SETH: Totally different than anything I've ever had.

HATIB: You can see where the palm oil comes in.

It's not just about the color, but it does help also to blend the citrusness so you don't actually feel, that you are left thinking something is too tangy.

SETH: So Hatib, is this how the Ebbeh dish would be prepared if say we were back in Gambia?

HATIB: No, obviously.

I mean, it's a street food.

Now we are in a fine dining restaurant.

So obviously the presentation is different, and the occasion.

SETH: You got to gussy it up a little bit.

HATIB: Exactly.

I mean, this is my restaurant, and I can make up my own recipes.

Now, this is obviously Africa, new Africa together, and the decor of the place and the cuisine that we are trying to introduce, I hope will carry the message.

SETH: Well, I certainly feel that way chef, and I appreciate you letting me get my hands messy, trying this incredible Ebbeh dish.

And can't wait to come back and try some more.

HATIB: Well, thank you so very much.

I appreciate you coming in.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ WOMAN: To find out more about great food in the Washington Metro Area, visit weta.org/signaturedish.