Fun with fonio

Pierre Thiam

Chef Pierre Thiam sent me home from the Fancy Food Show with a nice supply of fonio. His Yolélé Foods sources the grain from small farms In West Africa, where Thiam was born. Fonio is a tiny seed related to millet; the easiest way to cook it is with water or stock, then fluff it up like couscous and use as the base for a Mediterranean or African stew. (The grains are sold pre-washed and par-cooked so no husking or rinsing is required.)

Fonio cooked and fluffed, as a couscous equivalent

The cooked grain has a pleasant, nutty flavor reminiscent of couscous that’s been toasted before steaming. It’s low-glycemic and gluten-free, so a very attractive alternative to couscous (made with wheat) for those with food allergies. It’s not exactly cheap at $20 for 30 ounces on Amazon, but on the other hand that’s enough for perhaps 20 servings. (Also check your local food coop; mine has it for a little over $8 a pound.)

Fonio is low-glycemic and gluten-free, with more nutrients than couscous or brown rice; double-click the image to read the captions.

Thiam is a multifaceted guy who is involved in restaurants in Nigeria and Senegal and is also co-owner of Teranga, a fast-casual place located in the Africa Center in Harlem. The menu there tends to one-dish meals, many on a base of fonio. He gave a TED talk on fonio which describes his vision to make the grain universally available while supporting the economy of the Sahal, the region in which it is grown. He has written two cookbooks, one of which is devoted to fonio and the other to Senegalese recipes.

Many of the recipes are available on the Yolélé website and not a few are aimed at western preferences, but Lamb Shanks with Rof Gremolata seems authentic. Lamb shanks are braised with onions, tomato paste, peanut butter and served over fonio pilaf with a modified gremolata, called rof. Check it out.