Ingredients
- The Fish and the Farce (Rof):
- 1 large white fish (Thiof, Grouper or Dorade), cut into slices.
- Rof paste: A bunch of parsley, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon of black pepper, 1 stock cube and a pinch of salt (all crushed together).
- The Base of Red Sauce:
- 250 ml of vegetable oil.
- 3-4 tablespoons of tomato paste.
- 2 onions (finely chopped).
- 3 fresh tomatoes (diced).
- Fermented ingredients (for authentic taste): Guedj (dried fish) and Yeet (fermented mollusk).
- Vegetables:
- Carrots, eggplant, cassava, white cabbage and bitter eggplant (diakhatou).
- Whole okra and 2–3 West Indian peppers (for the aroma, do not pierce them!).
- Rice:
- 1 kg of broken rice (preferably fragrant rice).
Instructions
1. Stuff and fry the fish
Clean the fish and pierce a deep hole in the flesh of each slice. Fill the holes with the Rof (parsley-garlic paste). Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the fish until golden brown. Remove and reserve.
2. Prepare the sauce
In the same oil, fry the chopped onions until they are translucent. Add the tomato paste and diced fresh tomatoes. Fry for about 5 to 8 minutes until the oil begins to separate and the sauce turns a dark red color.
3. Simmer the vegetables
Add about 1.5 to 2 liters of water to the pot. Add the yeet, guedj and all the vegetables (except the okra). Adjust the seasoning with a little broth or salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Note: Return the fish to the pot for the last 10 minutes to soak up the sauce, then remove the fish and vegetables, leaving only the red broth.
4. Cook the rice
Wash the broken rice thoroughly and pre-cook it by steaming it over the pot (using a steamer basket) for 15 minutes. This is the secret step for perfect texture! Then pour the pre-cooked rice directly into the red broth. The liquid should just cover the rice.
- Cover tightly and cook at very low heat for 20 to 25 minutes.
5. Service
Spread the red rice on a large platter. Place the fish in the center and arrange the colorful vegetables around it. Serve with a lime wedge.