Hand pies and spiced lamb: Maria Bradford’s Sierra Leonean home cooking

A West African spice-coated rack of lamb, plus pasty-like pies made with plantain pastry and stuffed with feta and onion

Tomatoes are an integral ingredient in west-African cooking, and are generally used alongside onions and chillies to create a flavourful and versatile base for sauces, soups and stews, and, of course, jollof rice. We often make a mother sauce of tomatoes and onions, then add spices and seasonings such as chilli flakes, garlic, ginger, nutmeg and cumin for a moreish bold and fiery pepper sauce.