Sere

About This Recipe

Sere is a deeply flavourful Garifuna fish soup from the coastal communities of Belize, closely related to Hudut but distinct in its thinner, soupy consistency and inclusion of more varied vegetables. Fresh reef fish — traditionally snook, king fish, or jack — is simmered in creamy coconut milk with green plantain, cassava, fresh herbs, and the fragrant, earthy recao leaf. Sere is coastal comfort food at its finest: briny, rich, and full of tropical sunshine. It is often eaten for Saturday morning breakfast or Sunday lunch by Garifuna families along the southern Belizean coast, always served with boiled or mashed plantain on the side.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 800 gfirm white fish fillets or whole fish pieces (snapper, snook, or sea bass)
• 600 mlcoconut milk
• 400 mlwater or fish stock
• 2green plantains, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 200 gcassava, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1large onion, roughly chopped
• 4 clovesgarlic, smashed
• 3 stalksrecao (culantro) or fresh cilantro
• 2 stalksfresh thyme
• 1scotch bonnet pepper, left whole
• 2 tbsplime juice
• 1 tspsalt, to taste
• ½ tspblack pepper
• 1 tbspvegetable oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the fish

   Rub fish pieces with lime juice, salt, and black pepper. Set aside.

2. 2

   Start the soup base

   Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until softened, about 4 minutes.

3. 3

   Add coconut milk and water

   Pour in coconut milk and water or fish stock. Add recao, thyme, and the whole scotch bonnet. Bring to a gentle simmer.

4. 4

   Cook the starchy vegetables

   Add green plantain slices and cassava chunks to the simmering broth. Cook for 20 minutes until nearly tender.

5. 5

   Add the fish

   Gently add the seasoned fish pieces. Simmer gently for 10–12 minutes until the fish is cooked through and flaking. Do not stir vigorously — the fish breaks easily.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Remove the scotch bonnet (or leave in for extra heat). Taste and adjust salt. Serve in deep bowls with extra lime on the side and boiled plantain or bread.

Variations

• •

  Add sliced okra for extra body and a slightly thicker broth.

• •

  Use shellfish (shrimp or crab) alongside the fish for a luxury version.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Store in the fridge up to 2 days. Reheat gently without boiling. The soup thickens overnight as the starch from the plantain and cassava is absorbed.

Frequently Asked Questions