European Technique, West African Soul: Reimagining Yam & Plantain Pottage

Yam and Plantain pottage

Today in Class: A Bowl of History, Warmth, and Heritage

In today’s cooking class, we exp

lored a dish that carries both memory and evolution — yam and plantain pottage, the kind of warm, slow-simmered comfort that feels like a hug on a cold winter afternoon.

What fascinated my student most wasn’t just the flavour, but the story behind the name. In West Africa, we often use “porridge” and “pottage” interchangeably, but the word actually traces back to old European kitchens. Pottage came from the French potage, meaning food cooked slowly in a pot.

Over centuries, English cooks transformed it into porridge — a word that travelled across seas and found a new home describing our own rich, hearty stews.

Today we honoured both lineages.

We built our base the European way:

a deep, velvety fish stock crafted from fish heads, bones, aromatics and smoked fish, simmered long enough to draw out every layer of flavour. It’s the technique I love introducing — the kind that turns simple ingredients into something soulful.

Into that stock went soft cubes of yam and ripe plantain, releasing their starches and sweetness slowly. As everything bubbled, the broth thickened naturally into a glossy, comforting sauce — smoky, lightly sweet, subtly spicy, and unmistakably West African.

It’s the kind of dish that warms your hands, your chest, your spirit — perfect for winter, and perfect for anyone longing for a taste of home elevated with modern technique.

This is what I love about teaching:

showing how food travels, transforms, and still tells our story — one pot, one origin, one memory at a time.