Caldeirada de Tucunare

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg tucunaré or other firm white fish, cut into thick steaks
• 2 limes, juiced
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 600 g waxy potatoes, peeled
• 3 onions, sliced into rings
• 4 ripe tomatoes, sliced
• 2 red peppers, sliced into rings
• 4 eggs
• 80 ml olive oil
• 1 tsp colorau (annatto powder)
• 500 ml fish stock
• 1 large bunch coriander, chopped
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• Salt and black pepper

Before you cook

• Season the fish steaks with the lime juice, crushed garlic, salt and pepper and leave them for 20 minutes.
• Slice the peeled potatoes about 1 cm thick and hold them in cold water.
• Slice the onions, tomatoes and peppers and keep them in separate piles.

Steps

1. Put the eggs in a small pan of cold water and bring it to the boil.
2. Cook the eggs for nine minutes, then cool them under cold running water and peel them.
3. Pour half the olive oil into a wide heavy pot and cover the base with a layer of onion rings.
4. Drain the potatoes and lay them over the onions.
5. Add a layer of tomato and pepper, then season with salt and the colorau.
6. Lay the fish steaks on top and cover them with the remaining onion, tomato and pepper.
7. Pour over the fish stock and the rest of the olive oil.
8. Set the pot over medium heat and bring it to a simmer without stirring.
9. Cover and cook for 25 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally rather than stirring, until the potatoes are tender.
10. Halve the boiled eggs and tuck them into the top of the stew.
11. Scatter over the coriander and spring onions and put the lid back on for two minutes.
12. Serve straight from the pot with white rice and cassava flour.