Ingredients
- Fish: A large, firm-fleshed white fish (such as grouper/thiof or snapper).
- Rice: Broken fragrant rice (broken rice), traditional for this dish.
- Vegetables: Eggplant, carrots, cassava, cabbage and bitter tomato (diakhatou).
- Farce (Rof): Parsley, garlic, stock cubes and chili pepper.
- Seasoning and aromatics: Dried fish (guedj), fermented mollusk (yeet), salt and oil.
- Accompaniments: Hibiscus leaves (bissap) and tamarind.
Preparation Steps
1. Preparation of fish and stuffing (Rof)
- Prepare the stuffing: Mix or crush the parsley, garlic and pepper with the stock cubes.
- Garnish the fish: Make deep incisions in the flesh of the fish and fill them generously with this paste of green herbs (rof) to flavor the flesh from the inside.
- Fry: Lightly fry the stuffed fish in a large pot with hot oil until golden brown, then remove and set aside.
2. Preparation of the broth
- Brown the aromatics: Add the fermented condiments (yeet and guedj) in the oil to develop the aromatic base.
- Simmer the vegetables: Pour water into the pot and add the firmer vegetables (cassava, carrots, cabbage). Let simmer until tender.
- Remove items: Once the vegetables are cooked, remove them from the broth and set aside to prevent them from getting crushed.
3. Cooking rice
- Steam the rice: Wash the broken rice thoroughly. Before boiling, steam it over the pot (using a couscous maker) to soften the grains.
- Cooking in broth: Adjust the water level in the pot. Add the pre-steamed rice directly to the seasoned broth. Cover tightly and cook over low heat until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is very tender.
4. Service
- Arrange the cooked rice on a large common dish.
- Arrange the fried fish and cooked vegetables on top.
- Serve with accompanying sauces such as hibiscus leaf puree (beugueuthie or soum) or tamarind for acidity