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Viche de pescado
Viche de pescado: Manabí's fish soup thickened with ground peanuts and green plantain
Viche is the Sunday soup of Manabí's coast, cooked in Portoviejo kitchens and beach shacks at Crucita: a golden broth thickened with ground peanuts and grated green plantain, loaded with corn, cassava, squash and chunks of white fish. It is nutty, earthy and gently sweet, a meal in a bowl, served with lime and chilli. Peanuts are a major allergen. The common mistake is adding the fish too early, so it breaks into threads; it goes in last and needs only 8 minutes, until opaque and flaking. Chef's tip: toast the peanuts until golden before grinding; it gives the broth its deep, roasted flavour.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the broth
- 7 oz raw unsalted peanutsor 150 g smooth unsweetened peanut butter
- 2 litres water or fish stock
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp ground achiote (annatto)
- 1 red onionfinely chopped
- 1 red pepperfinely chopped
- 3 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp salt
For the soup
- 1 green plantainpeeled and finely grated
- 14 oz sweet cassava (yuca)peeled, cored and cut into chunks
- 2 corn on the cobcut into 3 cm rounds
- 10 ½ oz squash or pumpkinpeeled and cubed
- 1 ⅓ lb firm white fish fillets (sea bass, corvina, hake)cut into large chunks
- 9 oz raw prawns (optional)peeled
To serve
- 3 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- 1 limecut into wedges
- 1 tbsp chilli sauce (ají) (optional)
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Toast 7 oz raw unsalted peanuts in a dry pan over a medium heat, shaking, until golden and fragrant. Cool slightly, then blend with 500 ml of the water to a smooth milk. (If using peanut butter, just whisk it into the water.)
10 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a large pot, add 1 tsp ground achiote (annatto), 1 red onion, 1 red pepper, 3 cloves garlic and 1 tsp ground cumin and cook over a medium heat until soft.
6 minStep 3: Pour in the peanut milk and the rest of 2 litres water or fish stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in 1 green plantain, a little at a time, stirring so it doesn't clump.
5 minStep 4: Add 14 oz sweet cassava (yuca), 2 corn on the cob and 2 tsp salt and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often so the peanut doesn't catch on the bottom.
15 minStep 5: Add 10 ½ oz squash or pumpkin and cook for 10 minutes more, until the cassava is tender and the broth is creamy.
10 minStep 6: Lower in 1 ⅓ lb firm white fish fillets (sea bass, corvina, hake) and 9 oz raw prawns and simmer very gently for 6–8 minutes, without stirring hard, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily and the prawns are pink right through.
8 minStep 7: Scatter with 3 tbsp fresh coriander and serve with 1 lime wedges and 1 tbsp chilli sauce (ají).
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 35 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does viche de pescado take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 45 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 red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of red pepper?
- Any colour of bell pepper, same amount.
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