Mara Expedition Camp Recipe – Lemongrass and sesame wahoo fillet, comfrey butter bean irio and herbed wine sauce

By Daniel Kimani – Mara Expedition Camp Head Chef

The natural sweetness of roasted cherry tomatoes, the gentle depth of leeks, and the herbaceous character of comfrey create a balance of acidity, warmth, and aroma, lifted further by a delicate herb wine butter.

Building on that foundation, I reimagined a fortified comfrey butterbean mash inspired by the Kenyan staple I grew up on, mashed potatoes and greens, known as mukimo or irio.

Comforting and deeply rooted in tradition, also enjoyed on its own, with tea, or alongside meat. This dish honors that memory while celebrating what the garden generously provided.

For Irio

Ingredients

• 300grams, potato
• 400grams, cooked butterbean
• 1 can, sweet corn
• 100grams, comfrey
• 5grams salted butter
• 1 pc onion diced
• 2 pc, Lemongrass smashed to a smooth paste

Method

1. Peel the potatoes, wash and boil for minutes, remove from heat and drain water, mash the potatoes together with the bean, in another pot of boiling water, add the comfrey leaves
2. And brunch for 3 minutes, remove from heat and drain, put in
   a blender and blend, pour the blended comfrey in the mashed potato, heat a pan, add butter and onion and comfrey, fry for 3-4 minutes, add the sweet corn, fry for another 2 minutes, then pour into the mixture and mix well, add salt and pepper to taste

For the herb wine butter

Ingredients

• 120ml dry white wine
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp finely minced shallot (or mild red onion)
• 150g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander, very finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, very finely chopped
• Salt to taste

Method

1. In a small saucepan, combine white wine, vinegar and shallots.
   Simmer gently until reduced to about 2–3 tablespoons. It should be concentrated but not dry.
2. Lower the heat completely. The pan should be warm, not hot.
3. Whisk in cold butter cubes gradually, a few at a time, allowing each addition to emulsify before adding the next. Do not let it boil — keep the sauce around 60–70°C.
4. Once fully emulsified and glossy, remove from heat.
5. Fold in the finely chopped coriander and basil.
6. Adjust salt and add a few drops of lemon juice only if it needs brightness.

For the sesame Wahoo

Ingredients

• 4 [4-6-ounce] wahoo fish fillet
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup mixed black and white sesame seeds
• 300grams baby carrots
• 2pcs leeks
• 1 bunch, charred cherry tomatoes

Method

1. Season the fillet on both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle one side with the sesame seeds. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of sesame oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the fillet, sesame-side down. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until golden and cooked through. Remove the fillets from the pan
2. In the same pan, heat the remaining tbsp of sesame oil. Add the leeks and carrots, season with salt and black pepper and bake for 10 minutes at 180º, until lightly charred and tender. Remove the pan from the heat
3. Divide the irio among 3 plates and add carrots and leeks, then wahoo fillet and top with cherry tomatoes, drizzle some wine butter & extra on the side.

Mara Expedition Camp is positioned in a grove of typical East African acacia trees overlooking a valley in the Maasai Mara Reserve.

This camp tells the story of early-day explorers with touches of campaign furniture and open-air space under a light-coloured canvas. It is on private land, so very exclusive, but it offers affordable Kenya safari opportunities and access to some of the region’s best wildlife. It is an ideal camp to start your Kenya safari, looking for big cats like cheetahs and lions. Most days, you don’t even have to go very far!

– Dereck Joubert