Fantastic Fufu [Coming Soon]

Coming Soon

📍 Location: Forest Hill, SE23 1AG

💷 Price: £75

🍴 Cuisine: Ghanaian

⏱️ Duration: 3 hours, including cooking and dining

👤 Age: 18+ (participants 17 and under welcome with an adult over 21 who's also taking part)

👥 How you'll work: in pairs and some group work

🥘 Dietaries: Adaptable for vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian. Please note, while we take care to adapt recipes for dietary requirements, all ingredients are prepared in a shared kitchen where common allergens may be present.

Fufu is one of the most eaten foods across West and Central Africa, and one of the most misunderstood outside of it. Made from cassava and plantain, pounded together until the dough is smooth, stretchy and completely unified, it is a food that takes patience, technique and a certain amount of physical commitment to make properly. In this class it will be served with either light soup, a warm, aromatic tomato based broth, or nkatekwan, the deep, warming groundnut soup that coats every mouthful.

What you'll learn

• Prepare cassava and plantain — understand how to select, prepare and cook both ingredients to the right stage before pounding begins
• Pound as a group — experience the communal rhythm of fufu-making as the class works together to bring the dough to its characteristic smooth, elastic consistency
• Know when it's ready — learn to read the texture and resistance of the dough at each stage, and understand what you're working towards
• Build a West African soup from scratch — whether it's light soup or nkatekwan on the day, you'll learn how to develop a full, layered flavour from the base up
• Eat fufu properly — learn the traditional way to eat fufu with soup, pulling, dipping and tasting as you go

What you'll make

• Fufu — cassava and plantain pounded together into a smooth, stretchy, satisfying dough
• Light soup or nkatekwan — depending on the season: either a clean, aromatic tomato based broth or a rich, full-bodied groundnut soup

What you'll eat & drink

• A welcome drink on arrival from Manya Wines.
• Fufu with light soup or nkatekwan (vegan alternative available).
• A choice of complimentary drink:
  • Zobo — hibiscus, ginger, pineapple
  • Chapman — cucumber, orange, lemon, blackcurrant
  • Bitter Lemon — lemon, bitters, mint
• Water and tea provided throughout the class.

How the class will run:

• All ingredients, equipment and aprons will be provided.
• I'll lead you through easy to follow demos before you have a go at your cooking station.
• You'll work in pairs to recreate all four dishes together.
• Once everything is cooked, we'll sit down and eat the full plate together, or pack up a box to take home if you prefer.
• You'll receive a digital recipe pack after class with everything you need to recreate these dishes at home.

Things to know before you book:

• You're welcome to book on your own. I'll pair you with another solo attendee on the day.
• The class includes demos, hands-on cooking, and time to sit down and enjoy the food you've made together.
• This is a hands-on cooking class, so I'm afraid I can't accommodate spectators or provide a waiting area for friends and family. Everyone attending needs to have a ticket and be actively participating.