Autumn weather brings the need for comfort food, and I look no further than combos from home.Sardines were something eaten frequently in my household growing up. We often had pressed sardine sandwiches for lunch at school. Kapenta, the Tanganyika sardine or the more common Shona name matemba, are freshwater fish commonly eaten in southern Africa. Zimbabweans both in and outside fishing towns alike stew them and serve along with sadza (cornmeal) and greens, or as fried, crispy finger food.

I had the craving and whipped up something I thought would be as close as possible to the real thing. Even though I didn't use kapenta, the smoked sardines played a decent substitute.

Creamy spinach is a nice detour to handle your greens and doesn't have to be super fatty or bland either. I used milk instead of cream, and the flour helped thicken up everything just fine.

I would also recommend against throwing out the sauce the fillets come in. The liquid is richly flavoured, like perfectly seasoned broth. Just add the tomato, soy sauce and chilli flakes for additional depth of flavour. 

In general, I wouldn't shy away from tinned fish! Though I have personally cut down on meat, I always say fish will be the last thing to go, and tinned fish is convenient. You can add it to soups, stews, sandwiches, salads, and other dishes; and as the weather gets colder and your grocery runs less, you'll appreciate the occasional tin.

Ingredients

2 cups spinach, roughly chopped

1/2 red onion, diced

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

2-4 large smoked sardine fillets (I used Bar Harbor, which is MSC certified/sustainably caught)

1 teaspoon chili flakes

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons flour

1 teaspoon fenugreek powder

1/4 cup tomato, diced

Sadza:

1 1/3 cups white corn/maize meal

3/4 cup cold water

2 1/2 cups boiling water

Pinch of salt

Instructions

In a saucepan, melt the butter and saute the onion for about 3 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, and fenugreek and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to brown and soften.

Stir in 1 teaspoon flour then whisk in the milk, make sure the flour dissolves. Add 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes and simmer for about 1-2 minutes. Add the spinach and simmer the spinach for 5 minutes. Stir frequently until the leaves have wilted and are incorporated with the onion, set aside. 

Prepare your sadza. In a pot, make a paste using the cold water and a 1/3 cup of maize meal, add the salt.

Place the pot over high heat and add 1/2 cup of boiling water. With a wooden spoon, stir quickly and get rid of any lumps. You want a smooth porridge to form. If you need to, use a whisk! 

Add the rest of the hot water, still stirring to ensure you still have a smooth porridge. At this point, it will start to bubble. Reduce to medium heat and place a lid on top. Careful not to get burnt. Let the sadza cook for about 10 minutes.

Once cooked, fold in the rest of the corn/maize meal. You’ll want to use a twisting motion with your wooden spoon to make sure all the dry mix is incorporated. This is the final step to make it a thick, dough-like consistency. You can add more corn/maize meal depending on the texture you want. 

Put the lid back on and sit on low heat to allow the sadza to rest for about 5 minutes. You might hear it 'breathing' or puffing at this point. 

Drain the sardine fillets and keep the sauce. In a small saucepan, heat it and add 1 teaspoon flour, 1 teaspoon soy sauce,  1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes, and the tomato. Simmer until a gravy forms. 

When ready to serve the sadza, dip your wooden spoon in some cold water to prevent too much sticking. Mould into a round shape and serve immediately with the creamed spinach, sardines, and gravy.

Tip: to smoothen your sadza use cling wrap as you shape it