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Thieboudienne
Ceebu jën: Senegal's fish and broken rice cooked in a tomato broth with whole vegetables
Ceebu jën, "rice and fish" in Wolof, is the dish Saint-Louis claims as its own and the whole of Senegal cooks for the big Friday or Sunday lunch, served on one wide platter that the family eats from together. Thick fish steaks are stuffed with a green paste of parsley, garlic and chilli, browned, then simmered in a deep tomato broth with whole cassava, carrot, cabbage and aubergine; the broken rice then soaks up that same broth until it turns orange and fragrant. The prized part is the xoon, the crust that forms at the bottom of the pot, which is shared out at the end. The usual mistake is leaving the fish in the pot while the rice cooks, so it falls apart; lift it out with the vegetables and keep it warm. Chef's tip: rinse the broken rice three times and steam it briefly before it goes into the broth, so the grains stay separate instead of turning to porridge.
- Total time
- 135 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the green stuffing (rof)
For the fish and broth
Vegetables
For the rice
Method
0/12 doneStep 1: Pound or blend 1 oz flat-leaf parsley, 5 garlic cloves, ½ scotch bonnet chilli, 1 fish or vegetable stock cube and 1 tsp black pepper to a coarse green paste.
Step 2: Make 2 deep slits in each side of the 2 ⅝ lb firm white fish steaks steaks and press the paste into them. Cover and chill for 30 minutes so the flavours go in.
30 minStep 3: Heat ¾ cup vegetable oil in a large, wide, heavy pot over a medium-high heat. Brown the fish for 2–3 minutes a side, just to colour it; it will cook through later. Lift out onto a plate.
6 minStep 4: In the same oil fry 2 onions for 8 minutes until soft and golden. Stir in 5 oz tomato paste and fry for 5 minutes, stirring, until it darkens to brick red and the oil turns orange.
13 minStep 5: Add 1 tbsp tamarind paste, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 2 bay leaves, 8 ¼ cups water, 1 tsp salt and the rest of ½ scotch bonnet chilli, whole so it flavours the broth without bursting. Bring to the boil.
8 minStep 6: Add 14 oz cassava and 3 carrots and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add ½ small white cabbage, 1 aubergine, 10 ½ oz pumpkin or butternut squash and 6 okra pods and cook for 10 minutes more.
25 minStep 7: Slide the fish back in and simmer gently for 10–12 minutes, until it is opaque all the way through and flakes when pushed with a fork. Lift out the fish and all the vegetables as they are done (cassava should be knife-tender), cover with foil and keep warm in a low oven.
12 minStep 8: Meanwhile rinse 1 ⅓ lb broken jasmine rice in 3 changes of water, drain, and steam it in a sieve over a pan of simmering water for 10 minutes. This first steaming is what keeps the grains separate.
10 minStep 9: Measure the broth left in the pot: you need about 1.1 litres. Ladle out any extra into a bowl to serve as sauce, or top up with water. Add the remaining 1 tsp salt and bring to a boil.
Step 10: Stir in the steamed rice, level it, cover tightly and cook over a low heat for 20–25 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender. Don't stir.
25 minStep 11: Turn the heat up for the last 3–4 minutes to form the crust on the bottom. Listen for a gentle crackle and smell for toasting, not burning.
4 minStep 12: Spread the rice on a large platter, arrange the fish and vegetables on top and serve with 1 lime and the reserved broth. Scrape out the crust and share it round. Leftover fish and rice keep in the fridge for 2 days; reheat until piping hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 82 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does thieboudienne take?
- About 135 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 95 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of flat-leaf parsley?
- Curly parsley or coriander, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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