Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in the 2022 series of BBC TV’s Masterchef competition.

Every Saturday, Yemi writes on the Stray Ferret about her love of the area’s food and shares cooking tips – please get in touch with her if you want her to review a restaurant, visit your farm, taste the produce you sell or even share a recipe.

I say food is my love language so for my second chef demo at the Great Yorkshire Show, I knew exactly what story I wanted to tell. It would be a story that fused bold West African flavours with the fresh, honest produce of Yorkshire.

It’s the kind of dish that will make people raise an eyebrow at first - “Jollof what?” - but by the first bite, they’re all in.

This recipe brings together two of my favourite things: the deep tomato-pepper spice of jollof, and the clean, buttery flavour of Yorkshire trout, done two ways because I wanted to help the trout fisherman fall in love with trout. Add some roasted cauliflower and a semi-fiery but fragrant scotch bonnet wok-hei oil, and you’ve got a plate that’s is bold and beautiful.

But here’s the best part - it’s not just for the stage. This can absolutely be a quick, flavour-packed midweek meal that brings serious joy to your dinner table.

The Great Yorkshire Show - A Celebration of all things ‘Local’

If you’ve never been, the Great Yorkshire Show is one of those events that reminds you why food and farming matter. There’s something incredibly grounding about walking past livestock pens, tasting fresh cheese, seeing beekeepers, trying bakes, spices, gins, fruit juices, jams, chutneys and sauces from artisan producers and then cooking for people who genuinely care about where their food comes from.

It felt special to use local produce for this dish - from the beautiful Yorkshire trout, to fresh vegetables supplied by Delifresh, and finishing touches like smoked Yorkshire sea salt that just lifts everything a notch higher. 

The Jollof Bulgur Base

Now, let’s talk about jollof bulgur. Most people know jollof as a rice dish, but I love how bulgur wheat - with its nuttiness and bite - takes on all those rich tomato and pepper flavours but keeps the dish light and quick to cook.

Here’s how I make it:

Ingredients (serves 2 - 3):

• 1 cup bulgur wheat

• 1 red bell pepper

• 2 ripe tomatoes

• 1 small red onion (plus extra for garnish)

• 2 tbsp tomato purée

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1 thumb size ginger

• 1 tsp paprika

• ½ tsp ground crayfish (optional but will add umami)

• 1 bay leaf

• ½ tsp thyme

• Salt (I used smoked Yorkshire sea salt)

• 1.5 cups chicken or vegetable stock

• Neutral oil (I used my wok-hei infused oil)

Method:

1. Blitz the tomatoes, red pepper, onion, and garlic into a smooth blend. For a more intense and smoky flavour, you have to roast them first

2. In a pan, heat some oil and cook the tomato purée with a pinch of salt for 2 - 3 mins to take off the raw edge, when it’s ready, they will form into pearls rather than clumping together

3. Add the blended mix, thyme, paprika, crayfish (if using), bay leaf, and salt. Let it reduce slightly until thickened

4. Add the bulgur and stock. Simmer on low heat until the liquid is absorbed (10 - 12 mins). Leave covered for another 5 - 10 minutes

5. Fluff with a fork, and it’s ready.

Trout Two Ways

The trout fisherman told me he didn’t like trout and my challenge was to see if I could get him to like trout. My response was, ‘challenge accepted’.

I wanted to show the versatility of trout in this demo so I did it two ways:

1. Pan-seared - lightly spiced with suya powder, smoked paprika, ginger powder garlic powder, smoked salt, and black pepper. Skin side down in a hot pan until crisp, then just a quick flip to finish. I basted with the spice infused oil

2. Pan-fired – in wok hei oil, Aleppo chilli, sea weed and butter

If you’re in a rush, pan searing your fish is the way to go; add some butter to the cooking oil before the fish goes in and you can pack in some intense flavour through the cooking process. It’s quick, full of flavour, and elegant enough for guests or a midweek treat.

The Scotch Bonnet Wok-Hei Oil

A secret to creating flavour packed food is learning to layer flavour in your cooking; this is all about adding flavour at each stage and this oil is the magic that kicks off the dish and ties everything together. The infused oil is fragrant, spicy and very versatile.

What’s in it:

• 2 - 3 spring onions (sliced)

• 5 garlic cloves

• 1 thumb of ginger

• 1 scotch bonnet (deseeded for less heat - add at the start for loud heat and at the end for a whisper of heat)

• 100ml neutral oil

Slice everything thinly and cook gently in the oil over the lowest heat setting until aromatic but not burnt. Strain and drizzle. Use it to finish your fish, your bulgur, even your scrambled eggs the next day. You can remove some of the ingredients to create a pure spring onion or ginger oil. 

Optional Side Kicks

Fried plantain and coleslaws are common sidekicks for Jollof rice but alternatives that will work well with Jollof Bulgur are roasted cauliflower with turmeric and cumin or a light cucumber, strawberry and mint salad finished with pink peppercorns and smoked sea salt to cool the heat

This dish is a love letter that speaks in two accents. West African warmth meets Yorkshire’s clean, fresh ingredients in a dish that’s humble enough for a weeknight, but bold enough to stand on any demo stage.

If you try it, I’d love to see it - tag me on Instagram @yummy_bydesign. Remember, the Jollof base will work with pulses, potatoes, yam, pasta, folio, Orzo, cous-cous, freekeh and other grains.