Fante Fante (Ghanaian Fish Stew)
Fante Fante is a traditional Ghanaian fish stew that originated among the Fante people of Ghana’s Central Region. Made with fresh tomatoes, Scotch bonnet pepper, aromatic herbs, and tender white fish, it’s a simple yet deeply flavorful dish that has become popular across the country.
Traditionally served with banku or kenkey, Fante Fante is a comforting staple of Ghanaian coastal cuisine. Enjoy this classic Ghanaian fish stew recipe!
Fante Fante (Ghanaian Fish Stew)
Fante Fante is a traditional Ghanaian fish stew made with fresh tomatoes, Scotch bonnet pepper, fragrant herbs, and tender white fish simmered in a rich, savory sauce. Simple yet full of bold West African flavors, it's traditionally served with banku, fufu, or kenkey for a comforting and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
- 1 1 whole tilapia or pompano cleaned and cut into serving pieces, approximately 700 g–1 kg (1½–2¼ lb), or another firm white fish such as red snapper
- 500 g fresh tomatoes
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper
- 1 1 onion , divided: half roughly chopped and half diced.
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil or palm oil
- 1 tbsp garlic (freshly chopped)
- 1 tsp ginger (freshly grated)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash and clean the fish thoroughly, removing the scales and any remaining impurities. Set aside.
- Place the tomatoes, Scotch bonnet pepper, and the roughly chopped half of the onion in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. If you don't have either, finely grate or chop the ingredients as finely as possible.
- Heat the vegetable or palm oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the reserved diced onion and cook for 2–3 minutes, until softened. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Stir in the thyme, parsley, and bay leaves, then add the blended tomato mixture. Season with salt and cook over medium heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Gently add the fish to the sauce. Cover and simmer until the fish is opaque and cooked through, about 8–12 minutes depending on its size and thickness. Avoid stirring; instead, gently spoon some of the sauce over the fish as it cooks.
- Serve hot with banku, fufu, or kenkey.
Notes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Hi, quick question –
The recipe says to add onion to the tomatoes and blend, but also to add the diced onion to the hot oil with the garlic. Should we just split the amount of diced onion and use half for the blended mixture and half to add to the pan? Thanks!
Hi Anisa,
You’re right as the instructions are unclear because the single onion is used in two different steps. The onion should be divided: blend half with the tomatoes and pepper, then sauté the remaining half with the ginger and garlic.
We’ll update the recipe to make this clearer. Thanks for catching it!
Best, Chef’s Pencil Team