Eat the Match: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador

Two kitchens that know what they're doing with heat.

Group E · Philadelphia · June 14, 2026 · Iris

Two kitchens that know what they're doing with heat.

Ivory Coast: Attiéké with grilled fish

Attiéké (pronounced ah-cheh-KEH) is the national staple of Côte d'Ivoire — fermented and dried cassava that has been rehydrated and steamed into a light, couscous-like grain with a slight sour note from the fermentation. It is served throughout the country as the base for most meals, most commonly alongside grilled fish with a sauce of tomatoes, onions, and scotch bonnet.

The dish for this match: whole grilled tilapia or red snapper rubbed with a blend of garlic, ginger, and scotch bonnet, charred over high heat, served on a bed of attiéké with a fresh tomato sauce alongside.

Ingredients

• 2 whole tilapia or red snapper (about 700g each), scaled and gutted, scored
• 3 cloves garlic, minced to paste
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 scotch bonnet, seeded and minced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• salt
• For the tomato sauce:
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced
• ½ white onion, finely diced
• 1 scotch bonnet, sliced (seeds in)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• salt
• For the attiéké:
• 400g attiéké (available at African grocery stores)
• 300ml boiling water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp neutral oil

Method

1. Combine garlic, ginger, scotch bonnet, paprika, lemon juice, oil, and salt into a paste. Rub into the score marks and all over the fish. Let sit 20 minutes.
2. For the tomato sauce: cook the onion in oil over medium heat until soft, 6 minutes. Add tomatoes and scotch bonnet. Simmer 10 minutes until collapsed into a rough sauce. Season.
3. For the attiéké: place in a bowl, pour boiling salted water over it, add oil, cover and leave 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
4. Grill the fish over high heat (or in a very hot cast-iron pan), 4 to 5 minutes per side until charred and cooked through. Serve on the attiéké with the tomato sauce alongside.

Ecuador: Seco de pollo

Seco de pollo is Ecuador's most beloved comfort dish — a slow-braised chicken in a sauce of beer (traditionally chicha or pilsner), tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and ají amarillo. The name "seco" (dry) is a misnomer; the dish is wet. The name refers to the technique of cooking off most of the liquid until the sauce is thick and coating rather than brothy. Served with white rice and maduros (fried sweet plantains).

Ingredients

• 1.2kg bone-in chicken thighs and legs
• 3 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 large white onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tomatoes, grated or blended
• 1 tbsp ají amarillo paste (or 1 tsp turmeric + ½ tsp cayenne as substitute)
• 250ml light beer (pilsner)
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, half tied in a bunch (for cooking), half chopped (to finish)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• salt and pepper

Method

1. Season chicken. Brown in oil over high heat, in batches, 4 minutes per side. Remove. In the same pot, cook onion until soft, add garlic, cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and ají paste, cook 5 minutes until reduced. Add beer, the tied cilantro bunch, cumin, and chicken. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Uncover, raise heat, and cook until sauce has thickened and coats the chicken. Remove cilantro bunch. Finish with chopped fresh cilantro. Serve with white rice and fried sweet plantains.