The iconic Senegalese fish and rice dish, hearty and fragrant, featuring tomato-infused red rice, nokoss-seared golden fish, and tender vegetables. A vibrant, communal centerpiece where every grain of rice absorbs the deep flavor of the broth.
Ingredients
- 500 g twice-broken rice or jasmine rice
- 650 g sea bream, white grouper, or pollock steaks
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 400 g crushed tomatoes
- 3 pieces carrots
- 0.5 pieces green cabbage
- 300 g cassava
- 1 piece African eggplant or standard eggplant
- 2 pieces yellow onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
- 1 piece lemon
- 1 piece fresh chili pepper
- 5 tbsp peanut oil
- 2 leaves bay leaf
- 1.2 l water
- to taste fine salt
Method
- Prepare the nokoss, then score the fish flesh without cutting all the way through; season with salt, rub a little paste into the slits, and let marinate while preparing the vegetables.
- Heat the oil in a large pot; sear the fish over medium-high heat until the surface is golden and lightly crisp, then remove gently.
- Saute the sliced onion in the same oil until soft and translucent; add the tomato paste and stir until it darkens, smells roasted, and begins to catch slightly on the bottom.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens, turns glossy, and the red oil floats to the surface.
- Pour in the water, add the bay leaf, carrots, cabbage, cassava, and eggplant; simmer until the vegetables are tender to the center yet still hold their shape, then remove them as they finish cooking.
- Return the fish to the gently simmering red broth and cook until the flesh flakes easily with the tip of a knife; carefully transfer the fish to a plate without breaking it.
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clearer, then stir it into the broth, strained or cleared of large solids; the liquid should just skim the surface of the rice.
- Cover and cook over low heat until the rice absorbs the broth, the grains are tender, and the bottom begins to form a fragrant crust; turn off the heat and let rest, covered.
- Fluff the rice without aggressively scraping the crust, then arrange on a large serving platter with the fish, vegetables, and lemon wedges.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 506.4 kcal
- Protein
- 23.31 g
- Carbohydrate
- 69.29 g
- Fat
- 14.33 g
- Fibre
- 3.85 g
- Calcium
- 34.68 mg
- Iron
- 0.48 mg
- Magnesium
- 21.2 mg
