Contest: Recipe of the Day. Week No.79/4_october 2025:Bole and Fish

Hi Steemit community,

Good day to everyone here. Today, I want to share something small but sweet with you all my Recipe of the Day. But unlike the usual recipe posts where someone cooked or prepared the food themselves, mine is a bit different. I didn’t make this food with my own hands today I bought it. But the story behind it is what makes it special for me, and I hope it makes you smile too.

So I was busy doing something important when my landlord suddenly called me. It wasn’t even a long conversation just a simple call that caught me off guard. He said, “Go and get bole and fish for yourself.” At first, I was surprised. I didn’t ask, I didn’t expect it, and honestly, I hadn’t even thought of food at that moment. But that simple act made my day. I smiled without even knowing. It was thoughtful. You know when someone just shows kindness out of nowhere? That’s how it felt. That little gesture made the food feel even more special. So today’s recipe is not just food it’s wrapped in a small act of care.

The food is bole and fish, a well-known street food especially loved here in the South-South part of Nigeria. If you’ve tasted it before, then you know how satisfying it is. But if you haven’t, let me walk you through how it’s made so maybe one day, you can try it for yourself — whether from a vendor or in your own kitchen.

To make bole and fish, you need a few simple ingredients: ripe plantains, preferably soft but not too mushy, fresh mackerel or titus fish, pepper mix (that includes scotch bonnet, onions, bell pepper, and tomatoes), palm oil or vegetable oil depending on your taste, seasoning cubes, salt, and optionally sliced onions or scent leaves to add aroma.

You start by peeling the ripe plantains and roasting them over charcoal or in an oven. If you're lucky to have access to a roadside grill, even better that smoky flavour is key. Let the plantains roast until the outside is golden brown and has that slight burnt edge. That’s how you know it’s well done.

Next is the fish. You clean it properly, season it with salt, pepper, seasoning cubes, and maybe rub a little oil on it to help it roast nicely. If you like, you can stuff some onions or leaves inside the fish to boost the flavor. Then you grill or roast it too, side by side with the plantains, until it’s firm, crispy on the outside, and juicy inside.

While those are roasting, you prepare the pepper sauce. Blend your pepper, tomato, onion mix. Heat palm oil in a pan, pour the pepper in, add your seasoning and salt, and fry until it thickens. Some people add sliced onions or even scent leaves to give it that local feel. Once the sauce is fried and the oil floats on top, you know it’s ready.

Then you serve roasted plantains and fish on a plate, pour your spicy sauce all over, and just enjoy. Some like it really hot, others mild, but either way, the taste is something else. It’s simple food, but very satisfying. And it fills more than just your stomach it comforts you, especially when there’s a story behind it.

Today’s recipe might not have come from my own kitchen, but it came with meaning. It came with care, and for that, I’m grateful. Sometimes, food carries more than flavor. It carries a message of love, kindness, thoughtfulness. And today, bole and fish reminded me that even a small thing like sharing food can lift someone’s spirit.

So if you’ve never tried bole and fish, I hope this post encourages you to give it a shot. And if you’re already a fan, you already know it’s a special kind of meal. Whether you buy it or make it yourself, it’s always worth it.

Thanks for reading and being part of my little story!

Inviting @ukpono @mercybliss @peachyladiva
@etoro