Thieboudienne

Ingredients

• 1.2kg firm white fish steaks, such as grouper, snapper or cod, on the bone
• 500g broken rice, or short-grain rice
• 1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley (about 50g)
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 scotch bonnet chilli, plus 1 whole for the pot
• 1 stock cube
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 150ml groundnut oil
• 1/2 white cabbage, cut into 3 wedges
• 2 carrots, halved
• 1 aubergine, quartered
• 300g cassava or 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 small piece dried fish or 1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste or 1 lime, juiced
• 1.5 litres water
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Before you cook

• Make the rof. Pound the parsley, 6 garlic cloves, one deseeded scotch bonnet, half the stock cube, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper in a mortar until you have a coarse green paste.
• Cut a deep slit into the side of each fish steak with a small sharp knife, going towards the bone without cutting through.
• Push a heaped teaspoon of the rof into each slit and press the fish closed. Keep any leftover rof.
• Rinse the rice in three changes of water and drain it.
• Cut all the vegetables into large pieces so they hold together in the pot.

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat.
2. Fry the stuffed fish steaks for 3 minutes a side, until browned but not cooked through, then lift them onto a plate.
3. Turn the heat to medium, add the chopped onions to the same oil and cook for 8 minutes until soft and golden.
4. Add the remaining 2 garlic cloves, crushed, along with the tomato puree, and fry for 4 minutes until it darkens.
5. Add the tinned tomatoes and any leftover rof and cook for 10 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy.
6. Pour in the water, add the salt, the dried fish if using and the whole scotch bonnet, and bring to a boil.
7. Add the cassava and carrots and simmer for 15 minutes.
8. Add the cabbage and aubergine and simmer for another 10 minutes until everything is tender.
9. Lift all the vegetables out with a slotted spoon into a bowl and keep them warm. Take out the whole chilli and set it aside for serving.
10. Slide the fish back into the broth and simmer gently for 10 minutes until it flakes at the bone.
11. Lift the fish out carefully onto a plate and cover it.
12. Measure the broth. You want about 1 litre for the rice, so boil it down or top it up with water as needed, and stir in the tamarind.
13. Taste the broth and season it hard with salt and pepper, because the rice takes its whole flavour from here.
14. Tip the drained rice into the broth, stir once and bring to a boil.
15. Cover the pot, turn the heat to its lowest and cook for 25 minutes without lifting the lid.
16. Check the rice. It should be soft and have drunk all the liquid. If not, add 100ml hot water, cover and give it 8 minutes more.
17. Let the rice sit off the heat for 10 minutes, then fluff it.
18. Spread the rice across a large platter, lay the fish in the centre and arrange the vegetables around it.
19. Serve with the whole cooked chilli on the side and lime wedges for squeezing.