African Crab Stew Turned Global Mash-Up

Anthony Jones

At the globally inspired Dirty Habit, ago glain, a spicy Beninese crab stew, is transformed into an intriguing offering of halibut with crab curry. Anthony Jones, executive chef, is tapping into the growing excitement around the flavors and signature ingredients of West African cuisine, identified by Flavor & The Menu as one of the Top 10 Trends for 2024.

For his interpretation, Jones punches up the protein quotient with halibut and pulls in Latin American flavors to complement the original profile of the Beninese recipe. To build his dish, he places a seared and roasted halibut fillet atop a base of crab curry sauce, then adds coconut-miso plantain purée, red cabbage pikliz (a spicy pickled condiment) and plantain Accra (named for Ghana’s capital city) as accompaniments. “The flavor profile I wanted to achieve was the natural sweetness from the overripe plantains, umami and nutty notes from the purée, and sour notes from the fermented pikliz,” says Jones. “Then the crab curry, which is aromatic, has a depth of spice from palm oil, grains of selim, uziza peppercorns and crab roe.” Jones acknowledges that most guests are initially unfamiliar with the ingredient array. “I love sharing something completely new and watching guests’ reactions as they taste it. It’s a plate that comes back clean for sure.

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