Ingredients
Base
- 4ripe avocados
- juice of 2 limes
Filling
- 2 tinstuna in oil, drained
- 1small onion, very finely chopped
- 1tomato, deseeded and diced
- 3 tablespoonsgrated fresh coconut
- 2 tablespoonsmayonnaise, optional
- 1chilli, finely chopped, optional
- salt and black pepper
To finish
- extra grated coconut
- chopped coriander or parsley
- lime wedges
Directions
- Keep them at room temperature to ripen. Cut each one lengthways around the stone. Twist the two halves apart gently. Set the stone aside and discard it. Squeeze lime juice over the cut surfaces. That stops them browning while you work. Season them lightly with salt. If you scoop, leave a thick shell of flesh.
- Drain the tuna well and flake it into a bowl. Draining it properly stops the filling being oily. Add the finely chopped onion to it. Soak the onion in cold water first if it is harsh. That takes the raw bite out of it.
- Add the diced tomato to the bowl. Deseed it first so it does not water down the filling. Crack a mature coconut and prise the flesh out. Peel off the brown skin with a vegetable peeler.
- Grate the white flesh very finely. Soak it briefly in warm water first. Add the grated coconut to the tuna. Add the mayonnaise if you want a richer filling. Add the chopped chilli if you want heat. Squeeze in the remaining lime juice. Season it well with salt and black pepper.
- Mix everything together gently with a fork. Do not mash it down into a paste. Taste it and adjust the lime and salt. It should be fresh and sharp rather than heavy.
- Spoon the filling generously into each half. Mound it up above the rim of each. Do not fill them in advance at all. Scatter extra grated coconut over the top. Add chopped coriander or parsley. Set a lime wedge on each plate. Serving it is always done cold.
- Chill the plates first if you can. Set each half on a plate or on a lettuce leaf. Make it within an hour of serving. It really does not keep well at all.
Technique
- Guinea-Bissau was a Portuguese colony until 1974, and Portuguese dishes adapted to local produce are common in Bissau restaurants.
- The grated fresh coconut is what marks this version out from a plain Portuguese stuffed avocado.
Substitutions
- Fresh cooked tuna or another firm fish can replace the tinned tuna.
- Desiccated coconut soaked in warm water stands in for fresh.
Variations
- Some restaurants add diced mango or papaya to the filling.
- A version with prawns instead of tuna is also served.
- Leaving out the mayonnaise and dressing it with lime and oil gives a lighter dish.
History
A Portuguese-influenced starter of Bissau restaurants, combining Atlantic tuna with tropical produce.
Frequently asked questions
What is Abacate recheado com atum?
Abacate recheado com atum is a salad & side from Guinea-Bissau: halved avocado filled with tuna, lime and grated coconut. A Portuguese-influenced starter of Bissau restaurants, combining Atlantic tuna with tropical produce.
How long does Abacate recheado com atum take to make?
Abacate recheado com atum takes 20 minutes of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Abacate recheado com atum?
Yes, within limits. Fresh cooked tuna or another firm fish can replace the tinned tuna. Desiccated coconut soaked in warm water stands in for fresh.
What is the most important thing to get right in Abacate recheado com atum?
Mix everything together gently with a fork. Do not mash it down into a paste. Taste it and adjust the lime and salt. It should be fresh and sharp rather than heavy.
