Ingredients
- The Fish: 1 large white fish with firm flesh (Thiof/Grouper or Dorade), cut into steaks.
- The Farce (Rof): Parsley, garlic, 1 stock cube and chili pepper (all mixed).
- Rice: 1 kg of broken rice (fragrant rice).
- The “Taste of Senegal”: 1 small piece of Yet (fermented mollusk) and Guedj (salted dried fish).
- Vegetables: 1/2 cabbage, 2 carrots, 1 eggplant, 1 cassava, 1 bitter tomato (Diakhatou) and fresh peppers.
- The Base of the Sauce:
- 2 large onions (diced).
- 3 to 4 tablespoons of tomato paste.
- 250 ml of vegetable oil.
- Seasoning: Salt, black pepper and 2 stock cubes.
- Acidity: Tamarind (soaked in water) or 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
Instructions
1. Stuffing and coloring
- Make deep cuts in the fish steaks and fill them with the Rof (parsley/garlic mixture).
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Fry the fish until golden brown on both sides. Remove and reserve.
2. The red base
- In the same oil, brown the Yet and diced onions until translucent.
- Add the tomato paste. Fry it for 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly. This is the secret of “Tirr” (deep red color). If you don't fry it enough, the rice will be orange, not red.
3. Simmering vegetables
- Pour about 1.5 to 2 liters of water.
- Add the Guedj, salt, stock cubes and all the vegetables (except the peppers).
- Let it boil for 25 to 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Return the fish to the sauce for the last 5 minutes, then remove everything (fish and vegetables) and reserve them on a platter with a little sauce.
4. Preparing the rice
- Wash the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear.
- Pro Tip: Sala often pre-cooks the rice by steaming it over the boiling sauce (using a couscous maker) for 10 minutes before putting it in the liquid.
5. Cooking rice
- Adjust the liquid level in the pot (it should just cover the rice). Add the tamarind water and fresh chili peppers.
- Pour in the rice. Stir once, cover tightly and reduce heat to low. minimum.
- Let it cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Halfway through cooking, carefully turn the rice so that it cooks evenly.
Serving
- Arrange the red rice on a large common dish.
- Place the fish in the center and arrange the vegetables nicely around it.
- Don't forget the “Xoon!” (the crispy rice at the bottom of the pot) — it’s everyone’s favorite part!