Soups & Stews
Asaro
60 min
Sade's One PotPhoto by Oyebolaesther · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Recipe
Soups & Stews
Imoyo (Light Fresh-Fish Stew)
A light red stew in which fresh fish gently poaches in tomatoes, peppers and palm oil. Imoyo puts fresh fish at the centre of a relatively light stew. Lola Osinkolu recalls learning the dish from her mother, while The Pretend Chef distinguishes its flowing sauce from a more concentrated everyday tomato stew. It can accompany rice or yam, or join ewedu and amala on the plate. The fresh-fish cooking step matters: the fish seasons the sauce as it cooks. This version keeps the ingredient list restrained and lets gentle simmering preserve the pieces. Cultural context: Chef Lola identifies Imoyo with Yoruba cooking. Fresh fish cooks in a light pepper-and-tomato sauce; it is not automatically equivalent to every tomato stew.
20 minPreparation
35 minCooking
6Servings
What you’ll need
6 servings
Let’s get cooking
- 1
Pat the prepared fish dry and inspect for loose scales or bones. Keep it refrigerated while making the sauce; use separate utensils for raw fish.
- 2
Blend tomatoes, peppers and onion with 100 ml water until smooth.
- 3
Warm palm oil over medium-low heat without smoking. Carefully add puree. Simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the raw tomato aroma softens; it should remain looser than fried stew.
- 4
Add the remaining water, bouillon if using and half the salt. Nestle fish in a single layer and spoon sauce over it.
- 5
Simmer gently for 10–15 minutes, depending on steak thickness. Shake the pan instead of stirring. Check the thickest fish reaches 63°C and flakes readily.
- 6
Adjust salt and serve with rice, boiled yam or amala and ewedu. Remove bones at the table. Chill leftovers promptly and reheat thoroughly.
A little kitchen wisdom
Avoid vigorous boiling once the fish goes in. A thicker fish steak may need longer than the stated range. Timing estimate: active preparation 20 min; cooking 35 min; additional passive time 0 min; conservative planning allowance 55 min. Some stages may overlap. Recipe status: Research formulation; not kitchen-tested. Allergen checks: Fish; Check bouillon for allergens
Recipe notes & sources
Research formulation; not kitchen-tested
Also known as: Obe Eja Tutu, Omi Obe
Chef Lola identifies Imoyo with Yoruba cooking. Fresh fish cooks in a light pepper-and-tomato sauce; it is not automatically equivalent to every tomato stew.
Allergens: Fish, Check bouillon for allergens
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