Encocado

Ingredients

Fish or shrimp

• 1 kgfirm white fish, in chunks
• or 1 kg large shrimp, peeled
• juice of 3 limes
• 4garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 teaspoonground cumin
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• black pepper

Refrito base

• 2onions, chopped
• 1red pepper, chopped
• 1green pepper, chopped
• 4tomatoes, chopped
• 4garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 tablespoonsoil
• 2 teaspoonsachiote or paprika
• 1 teaspoonground cumin

To finish

• 600 mlthick coconut milk
• a large handful of coriander, chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• salt and black pepper
• 1chilli, chopped, optional

To serve

• plain white rice
• patacones, fried green plantain
• lime wedges
• aji, chilli sauce

Directions

1. Rub the fish or shrimp with lime juice. Add the crushed garlic and the cumin. Season it with salt and black pepper.
2. Let it sit for twenty minutes in the cold. Longer than an hour and the lime cooks it. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan. Add the chopped onions and peppers. Cook them for a good ten minutes. They should soften completely. Add the crushed garlic and the cumin.
3. Add the achiote and stir it through. Cook it for a good two minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan. Cook them down for about eight minutes. Mash them against the pan as they soften. The mixture should become a thick base.
4. Pour in the coconut milk gradually. Stir it through the refrito thoroughly. Bring it to a very gentle simmer. Never boil coconut milk hard, which splits it.
5. Let it simmer for about ten minutes. It should thicken slightly as it cooks. Season it with salt and black pepper. Lay the fish chunks into the sauce. Do not stir the pan after this point.
6. Cover it and let it simmer gently. Give the fish about eight minutes. Add shrimp for the last four minutes only. Judging when it is done is straightforward. Lift the seafood out and reduce it if needed. Taste it and adjust the salt to suit. Finishing it is done off the heat.
7. Squeeze in the juice of the lime. Stir in most of the chopped coriander. Add the chopped chilli if you want heat. Let it sit covered for five minutes. Serving it is done hot with rice. Spoon it into bowls over plain white rice. Scatter the rest of the coriander over. Put aji chilli sauce on the table. It keeps two days refrigerated.

Technique

• Esmeraldas has a large Afro-Ecuadorian population and a cooking distinct from the highlands, using coconut throughout where very little of the rest of Ecuador does.
• A refrito of onion, pepper, garlic and tomato cooked down in achiote oil is the flavour base of a great many Ecuadorian dishes and must be cooked slowly.
• Shrimp need only three or four minutes and go rubbery if cooked longer, where fish takes about eight.

Substitutions

• Any firm white fish works, and corvina, snapper and grouper are all used locally.
• Paprika stands in for achiote and supplies most of the colour.

Variations

• Encocado de camaron with shrimp and encocado de pescado with fish are equally common.
• Some cooks add a little peanut butter, which is a Manabi touch.
• Similar coconut seafood stews are cooked along the Pacific coast of Colombia.

History

An Afro-Ecuadorian dish of Esmeraldas, where coconut palms meet Pacific fishing; served with rice and patacones.

Frequently asked questions

What is Encocado?

Encocado is a main from Ecuador: fish or shrimp simmered in coconut milk with peppers and coriander. An Afro-Ecuadorian dish of Esmeraldas, where coconut palms meet Pacific fishing; served with rice and patacones.

How long does Encocado take to make?

Encocado takes 30 minutes plus marinating of preparation and 35 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Encocado?

Yes, within limits. Any firm white fish works, and corvina, snapper and grouper are all used locally. Paprika stands in for achiote and supplies most of the colour.

What is the most important thing to get right in Encocado?

Pour in the coconut milk gradually. Stir it through the refrito thoroughly. Bring it to a very gentle simmer. Never boil coconut milk hard, which splits it.