Thieboudienne

About This Recipe

Thieboudienne (pronounced 'cheb-oo-jen') translates from Wolof as 'rice and fish' and is considered the national dish of Senegal. A whole fish is stuffed with a fragrant paste of parsley, garlic and Scotch bonnet, then browned and simmered with tomatoes, tomato paste and an array of vegetables — cabbage, cassava, carrot, eggplant and green pepper. The cooking broth, vivid red from tomato paste and palm oil, is then used to cook long-grain rice that absorbs every layer of flavour. The dish is served on a communal platter, topped with the fish, vegetables and crispy rice scraped from the bottom of the pot — the most coveted part, called xoon.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.2 kgwhole fish(such as sea bass, snapper or tilapia, cleaned and scaled)
• 500 glong-grain rice(rinsed)
• 4 tablespoonstomato paste
• 4ripe tomatoes(blended)
• 1large onion(finely chopped)
• 4 tablespoonsvegetable or palm oil
• 200 gwhite cabbage(cut into wedges)
• 200 gcassava(peeled and cut into chunks)
• 2carrots(halved lengthways)
• 1small eggplant(quartered)
• 1green pepper(halved)
• 1.2 litresfish stock or water
• 1 large bunchflat-leaf parsley(leaves only)
• 4 clovesgarlic
• 1Scotch bonnet pepper
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• 1 cubefish or chicken stock cube
• 1 teaspoonblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the stuffing

   Blend or pound the parsley, garlic, Scotch bonnet and salt into a coarse paste. Score the fish deeply on both sides with a sharp knife, 3–4 cuts per side. Push the stuffing into the cuts and into the cavity of the fish.

2. 2

   Brown the fish

   Heat half the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the stuffed fish for 3–4 minutes per side until golden. Remove and set aside. Do not cook through — it will finish in the broth.

3. 3

   Build the sauce

   In the same pot, add the remaining oil and fry the onion until soft, 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir constantly for 3 minutes until it darkens. Pour in the blended tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens and the oil rises to the surface.

4. 4

   Simmer the vegetables and fish

   Pour in the stock, add the stock cube and black pepper and stir. Add the cassava, carrots and cabbage. Return the fish to the pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Add the eggplant and green pepper and cook for a further 10 minutes until all vegetables are tender and the fish is cooked through.

5. 5

   Cook the rice

   Carefully remove the fish and vegetables and set aside, keeping warm. Measure the broth — you need approximately 750 ml to cook 500 g rice (1.5:1 ratio). Top up or reduce as needed. Bring the broth to a boil, add the rinsed rice, stir once, cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 20–22 minutes until rice is tender and the broth is absorbed.

   Do not lift the lid while the rice cooks. The steam is essential for even cooking.

6. 6

   Create the xoon (crispy bottom)

   Once the rice is cooked, remove the lid and increase the heat to medium-high for 3–4 minutes to create a golden, crispy layer at the bottom of the pot — this is xoon, the most prized part. Listen for a gentle sizzle.

7. 7

   Serve

   Mound the rice on a large communal platter. Arrange the fish and vegetables on top. Scrape the crispy xoon from the pot and scatter over the dish. Serve with sliced fresh lemon.

Variations

• •

  Thiebou yapp: substitute the fish with lamb or beef for an equally celebrated version.

• •

  Add a handful of dried guedj (fermented fish) to the broth for a deeper, more pungent umami flavour, as many Senegalese cooks do.

• •

  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 rice and fish separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat the rice in a pan with a splash of water.

Frequently Asked Questions