Senegalese Fish and Vegetable Rice with Tomato and Herb Stuffing

What you need

• 900 g (2 lb) firm white fish steaks, grouper, sea bream or tilapia, bone-in if possible
• 1 bunch parsley, about 30 g, leaves and tender stems
• 2 shallots, peeled
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 Scotch bonnet chile, or habanero, left whole
• 1 bouillon cube, beef or vegetable, crumbled
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, plus more to taste
• 2 tsp salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 150 ml (2/3 cup) vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 200 g (7 oz) canned peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 2 bay leaves
• 30 g (1 oz) dried salted fish, optional, called guedj; from African or Asian grocers
• 300 g (10 oz) cassava, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 250 g (9 oz) sweet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 400 g (14 oz) green cabbage, cut into 4 wedges through the core
• 1 small eggplant, about 250 g, cut into thick rounds
• 6 okra pods, left whole
• 500 g (2 1/2 cups) long-grain parboiled rice, or broken rice, rinsed until the water runs nearly clear
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Make the herb paste: pound or pulse the parsley, shallots, garlic, half of the Scotch bonnet, the bouillon cube, black pepper and 1 tsp of the salt to a coarse paste.

2. 2

   Cut 2-3 deep slits in each piece of fish and press some of the paste into them. Keep the rest of the paste for the sauce.

3. 3

   Heat 100 ml (scant 1/2 cup) of the oil in a large, wide pot over medium-high heat. Fry the fish for 2-3 min per side, until golden but not cooked through, then move it to a plate.

4. 4

   Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining oil and the onion. Cook for 5 min, stirring, until soft.

5. 5

   Stir in the tomato paste and the tomatoes. Cook for 8-10 min, stirring often, until the sauce darkens and the oil separates at the edges.

6. 6

   Add the leftover herb paste, the bay leaves and the dried fish, if using, and stir for 1 min.

7. 7

   Pour in 2 l (8 cups) water, add the remaining half of the Scotch bonnet and bring to a boil.

8. 8

   Add the cassava, carrots and sweet potato. Simmer for 15 min.

9. 9

   Add the cabbage, eggplant and okra. Simmer for 15-20 min, until every vegetable is tender.

10. 10

    Lay the fish on top of the vegetables, cover and simmer gently for 8-10 min, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.

11. 11

    Lift the fish and vegetables onto a platter with a slotted spoon. Cover to keep warm.

12. 12

    Strain the broth and discard the bay leaves and chile. Measure 1.1 l (4 3/4 cups) into a clean pot, topping up with water if needed, and bring it to a boil.

13. 13

    Stir in the rice and the remaining 1 tsp salt. Cover, turn the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 20-25 min, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

14. 14

    Rest the rice, covered, for 10 min, then fluff it. Scrape up any crisp golden crust from the bottom of the pot.

15. 15

    Pile the rice on a large platter, arrange the fish and vegetables on top and serve with the lime wedges.

Imported from chefsimon.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.