Catatos

Catatos (Angolan Palm Weevil Stew)

Catatos is a traditional Angolan dish made with palm weevils (Rhynchophorus phoenicis), a much-loved delicacy across central Africa. The insects are simmered in a fragrant tomato, onion, garlic and pepper sauce, and may be substituted with other large edible insects if fresh palm weevils are unavailable outside Angola.

Prep

20 min

Cook

35 min

Total

55 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1.1 lb) fresh palm weevils, live or freshly killed; substitute with farmed giant mealworms, mopane worms or other large edible insects if unavailable
• •30 g (2 tbsp) red palm oil, or substitute with another neutral oil plus ½ tsp paprika for color
• •200 g (1 medium) onion, finely chopped
• •6 cloves garlic, crushed
• •300 g (2 medium) ripe tomatoes, chopped, or 400 g canned
• •2 whole scotch bonnet or peri-peri peppers, left whole for mild heat or sliced for spicier
• •1 whole red bell pepper, sliced
• •1 whole bay leaf
• •5 g (1 tsp) salt, to taste, plus more for boiling the weevils
• •250 ml (1 cup) water
• •15 g (¼ cup) fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped, to finish

Steps

1. 1 Prepare the palm weevils: if using live weevils, place them in a sealed container in the freezer for 1 hour to humanely kill them. Remove the tough wing casings, the hard head, and the dark intestinal tract by splitting the body lengthwise and rinsing well under cold running water.
2. 2 Bring 1 litre (about 4 cups) of water and 10 g salt to a rolling boil in a pot. Add the cleaned weevils and boil for 15 minutes to tenderise and ensure they are cooked through; the flesh should be opaque and firm. Drain and set aside. (If using farmed giant mealworms, boil 8 minutes; mopane worms are already usually toasted/dried and only need 10 minutes simmering in the sauce.)
3. 3 While the weevils boil, heat the red palm oil in a heavy pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring, until softened and translucent.
4. 4 Stir in the crushed garlic and sliced red bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic.
5. 5 Add the chopped tomatoes, whole chillies, bay leaf and 5 g salt. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down into a thick, glossy sauce.
6. 6 Add the boiled weevils and 250 ml water to the sauce. Stir to coat, cover partially, and simmer gently for 12-15 minutes so the weevils absorb the sauce and reach an internal temperature of at least 75 °C (165 °F) throughout. Discard the bay leaf and whole chillies if a milder dish is preferred.
7. 7 Taste and adjust salt. Stir in the chopped cilantro or parsley and serve hot, traditionally accompanied by funje (a stiff cassava or maize porridge) or simple boiled cassava and rice.