Thiéboudienne Mauritanienne

About This Recipe

Thiéboudienne — literally 'rice in fish' in Wolof — is revered across the Senegambian cultural sphere and holds national-dish status in Mauritania. Fish fillets are stuffed with a fragrant herb paste, simmered in a rich tomato and tamarind broth with root vegetables, and served over broken rice that has absorbed all the cooking liquid. The dish is eaten communally from a shared platter.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1 kgfirm white fish fillets (grouper or sea bass)
• 500 gbroken rice or jasmine rice
• 3 tbsptomato paste
• 1 tbsptamarind paste
• 400 gmixed vegetables (cassava, carrot, cabbage wedges)
• 3 tbspvegetable oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the stuffing

   Blend 4 garlic cloves, a handful of parsley, 1 chilli, and a pinch of salt into a paste. Make incisions in each fish fillet and press paste inside.

2. 2

   Fry the fish

   Heat oil in a large pot. Fry stuffed fish for 3 minutes per side until golden. Remove and set aside.

3. 3

   Build the broth

   In the same pot sauté onion, then add tomato paste and cook 5 minutes. Add 1.5 litres water, tamarind paste, and vegetables. Simmer 20 minutes.

4. 4

   Cook the rice

   Remove fish and vegetables. Return broth to a boil, add rice, reduce heat, cover, and cook 20 minutes until rice is tender and liquid absorbed.

5. 5

   Plate and serve

   Mound rice on a large platter, arrange fish and vegetables on top, and serve communally.

Variations

• •

  Add okra to the broth for extra thickness.

• •

  Use lamb stock instead of water for deeper flavour.

• •

  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

Refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat rice gently with a splash of water.

Frequently Asked Questions