Thieboudienne (Senegalese Fish and Rice with Vegetables)

Ingredients

• 600 g hake fillets
• 350 g long-grain rice
• 20 g fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 scotch bonnet chilli
• 2 onions
• 4 tbsp tomato purée
• 3 carrots
• 300 g white cabbage
• 1 aubergine
• 1000 ml fish stock
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• 5 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 lime

Method

1. 1

   Make the rof stuffing: finely chop the parsley with 3 garlic cloves, half the scotch bonnet and a pinch of salt. Cut the hake (thiof is traditional; any thick white fish works) into 4 thick pieces, cut a deep slit in each, push in half the rof and rub the rest over.

2. 2

   Heat the vegetable oil in a large wide pan over a medium-high heat and fry the fish for 2 minutes each side until golden. Lift onto a plate; it finishes cooking later.

3. 3

   Lower the heat, add the sliced onions and cook for 8 minutes until soft and golden. Stir in the tomato purée and the remaining garlic, chopped, and fry for 3 minutes until brick red.

4. 4

   Pour in the fish stock and add the carrots (halved), the cabbage cut into 4 wedges, the aubergine in large chunks and the remaining scotch bonnet whole. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are just tender.

5. 5

   Return the fish for the last 5 minutes, until it is opaque all the way through and flakes easily. Lift the fish and vegetables onto a warm dish and cover with foil. Stir the tamarind paste into 100ml of the broth to make a sauce.

6. 6

   Measure the remaining broth and make it up to 700ml with water. Rinse the rice (Senegalese cooks use broken rice; long-grain works), add it to the broth, bring to the boil, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 20-25 minutes until tender and the liquid is absorbed.

7. 7

   Spread the rice on a large platter, arrange the fish and vegetables on top and serve straight away with lime wedges and the tamarind sauce. Cool any leftover rice quickly and refrigerate.