Thieboudienne — Senegalese Stuffed Fish & Jollof-Style Broken Rice

⏱ 120 min · Serves 6

Senegal's national dish, and a true weekend project: grouper stuffed with a punchy parsley-garlic rof, simmered with tamarind, tomato and yet — then the broken rice cooked in that deeply savoury broth until every grain is stained red. Serve on one huge platter with the vegetables piled high and lime wedges on the side.

Per serving: 720 kcal · 42.0g protein · 85.0g carbs · 24.0g fat

Ingredients

• 6 thick fish steaks or 2 whole grouper/sea bream (about 1.5kg total), scaled and gutted
• 1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley (about 60g)
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 Scotch bonnet chilli (plus 1 whole extra for the pot)
• 2 spring onions
• 1 stock cube (Maggi or similar), crumbled
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 120ml groundnut oil
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 4 tbsp tomato purée
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 tsp fish-based fermented seasoning or 1 anchovy fillet (optional, for yet)
• 2 litres water or light fish stock
• 1 small white cabbage, cut into 4 wedges
• 2 carrots, halved lengthways
• 1 small aubergine, quartered
• 300g cassava or 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 small sweet potato, cut into chunks
• 2 turnips, halved
• 500g broken rice (riz brisé) or long-grain rice, rinsed well
• Salt, to taste
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Method

1. Make the rof: blitz the parsley, garlic, 1 Scotch bonnet, spring onions, crumbled stock cube, black pepper and a pinch of salt to a coarse green paste with a splash of oil.
2. Cut deep slits into the fish steaks (or slash whole fish) and push the rof firmly into every pocket. Rest 20 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pot. Sear the fish for 2 minutes each side just to set the crust, then lift out carefully.
4. Add the sliced onions to the same oil and cook 8 minutes until soft. Stir in the tomato purée and fry 5 minutes until it darkens and smells sweet.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes, tamarind paste, fermented seasoning or anchovy, and the whole Scotch bonnet. Cook 5 minutes, then pour in the water. Season well and simmer 10 minutes.
6. Add the cassava/potato, carrots, turnips and sweet potato. Simmer 15 minutes, then add the cabbage and aubergine and cook 10 minutes more, until everything is tender. Lift the vegetables out onto a warm platter.
7. Slide the fish back into the broth, cover and poach gently 10–12 minutes until just cooked. Remove to the platter and keep warm.
8. Measure the broth: you want about 1 litre for the rice. Ladle off any excess and reserve for serving. Taste and season boldly — this is what flavours the rice.
9. Stir the rinsed broken rice into the broth, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on the lowest heat 20–25 minutes, without stirring, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is soft and red. Rest 5 minutes off the heat.
10. Pile the rice on a large platter, arrange the fish and vegetables on top, spoon over the reserved broth and serve with lime wedges.