Let's Go To Senegal For Thiebou Jenn!
Senegalese Rice with Grilled Sea Bass
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Watch the recipe here
Let's travel to the West African coast of Senegal with my Thieboudienne/Thiebou Jenn inspired red rice with grilled fish. Thieboudienne in the local Wolof language means "rice with fish". This West African wonder is the national dish of Senegal and a favourite across the region stretching out to Gambia, Mali and Mauritania.
Rice is easily one of the most basic ingredients in our store cupboards. A simple ingredient with endless possibilities and variations in size, colour, texture and taste. You can simply boil rice, or whip up some aromatic fried rice, creamy coconut rice, prepare a stuffing, or crispy fried fritters or ball and even an indulgent pudding. No matter what you choose to cook, I believe the important choice begins with the quality and type of rice one decides to cook with.
In my quest to find the best ingredients not only for my family but for my teaching, Tilda has always been reliable. Especially when cooking African dishes that are rich and heavy on the sauce, their superior grains are essential for fluffy, separated grains. I most frequently cook with the basmati range and Brown wholegrain rice. If the recipe calls for sticky rice I love the fragrant Jasmine. The Easy Cook range also helps to cut down cooking time, leaving you with more time to enjoy your wonderful meal.
In my recipe for this West African wonder, traditional ingredients such as yeet (fermented sea snails) and guedj (a salt-cured dried fish) are omitted because I have never been crazy about pungent fish or seafood. I love the mild acidity and fruity flavour of tamarind which works wonderfully with the rice and rich tomato sauce. My fish of choice - sea bass is also kept whole and grilled with an aromatic stuffing called rof.Â
You know I love encouraging cooks to cook with what they have and find ways to make each recipe interesting every time by swapping favourite and seasonal vegetables. This recipe is just one of those that really allows you to make it your own.
I love seeing your wonderful creations, so don’t forget to share your photos using hashtag #cookwithlerato & @leratofoods on Instagram. Happy Cooking!
Cook, Share & Inspire
Grilled Sea Bass Stuffed with Aromatics
Senegalese Rice with Grilled Sea Bass
Enjoy this marvellous recipe inspired by the Senegalese red rice called Thieboudienne (pron. chebujen). Glorious grains are cooked in a rich and aromatic broth served alongside stuffed grilled fish.
Serves 4Â
Time: 1 hr 20 minutes
Ingredients
300g Tilda Easy Cook Long Grain Rice
For the sauce
4 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 red onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 x 400g plum tomatoes, crushed
2 tbsp tomato purée
500ml chicken or vegetable stock (or crumble cube in hot water)
200g baby carrots, halvedÂ
1 large aubergine, cut into 3cm matchsticks
1 small red cabbage, cut into 4 - 6 wedges
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tsp thyme
Salt & black pepper
For the fish and stuffing
1 or 2 whole sea bass, about 500g (gutted and scaled)
A small bunch of parsley
3 spring onions
3 garlic cloves
1 scotch bonnet
Juice of 1 lime
4 chillies, mix of green jalapeño & red chillies, halved
4 tbsp rapeseed oil
Salt & black pepper
You will need
Heavy bottomed saucepan
Grilling or baking trayÂ
Food processorÂ
Cook's Tip: As an alternative to tamarind, mix 1 tbsp of lime juice with 1 tsp of brown sugar or date syrup.
Let’s get cooking
1. Wash the rice, drain and set aside. Pour the oil into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and place over medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook for 7 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic until fragrant.
2. Add the crushed tomatoes and purée, stir and cover to cook for 5 minutes. Now pour in the stock and add the tamarind paste. Bring to a steady simmer and tuck the vegetables into the sauce. Pierce the scotch bonnet and add to the sauce. Season with thyme, 1 tsp of fine sea salt, ½ tsp black pepper and cover to cook. Remove the softer vegetables first; aubergines after 15 minutes, cabbage and carrots after 20 – 25 minutes. Remove the scotch bonnet at this stage if you wish.
3. Add the rice, season once again with salt and pour in 500ml of water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce to medium-low heat and cover to cook for up to 30 minutes or until the rice absorbs all the wonderful sauce. Add up to 100ml more water if needed. Once cooked, set the saucepan aside for 5 minutes before fluffing the rice.
4. Meanwhile, preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Roughly chop the ingredients for the stuffing and place them in a food processor. Drizzle in the juice of lime and 3 tablespoons of oil. Blitz into a coarse paste and season with salt and pepper. Season all over the fish with salt and black pepper and stuff with the aromatic
paste. Brush with oil and place on a grilling tray. Brush the chillies and set them aside for later.
5. Grill for 15 minutes. I don’t find turning the fish necessary when cooking in the oven, but if cooking on a barbecue or outdoor grill, flip to grill on both sides. Add the chillies to grill alongside the fish for the final 10 minutes.
6. Serve the rice with vegetables nestled on top and the fish alongside lime wedges for extra freshness.
If you enjoyed the newsletter, do share it with your friends and family to help spread the delicious word. If you try this recipe, don’t forget to share your photos using hashtag #cookwithlerato & @leratofoods on Instagram.