Whole fish butterflied, marinated in lemon, garlic and chili, then grilled over embers until the skin crisps. Tangy, lively and smoky, it is the dish of large seaside gatherings.

Why this dish? Graça Machel's background explicitly mentions grilled fish among her known foods. The Mozambican coast, from Maputo to the Indian Ocean, lives on fresh fish grilled over wood fire, seasoned with lemon juice and chili — a dish for days of sharing and celebration.

When there are people at home and the ocean has been good, it's the fish that commands. I open it, rub it with lemon, pounded garlic and a little piri-piri — not too much, just enough to bite — and let it take on the flavor while we prepare the embers. Over the fire, you have to watch it like a child: one side, then the other, without rushing. You put it in the center, each person tears off their piece, and the lemon does the rest.

How it was made : Along the coast, fish was grilled on racks over wood embers, sometimes brushed with seawater for salt. Piri-piri, a chili of American origin acclimatized in Lusophone Africa from the 16th century, became the soul of Mozambican grills.

The contemporary twist : Serve with a homemade piri-piri sauce on the side, in a small pot, so each person can dose their own heat.

Graça Machel · Charactorium