Any fish goes well in a Thebouidienne (pronounced CHEB-O-DJIN). If you use fillet of sole or flounder, roll up the fillets before cooking in this manner. This recipe was found in a roadside restaurant in Dakar frequented only by the Senegalese and consider it one of the best dishes in Africa.
1 cup onions, chopped finely
½ cup green peppers, chopped
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
4 oz. oil or margarine
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
3 6-oz. cans water
8 ½-lb. pieces fish fillet such as haddock, halibut, etc.
8 wedges cabbage, 2 inches wide
8 halves sweet potato
1 4-oz. jar whole pimientos
1 cup cooked rice
8 cups cooked rice
Hot chili pepper (from a jar)
In a 6-quart Dutch oven: Sauté: 1 cup onions, chopped finely, ½ cup green peppers, chopped, 1 tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper in 4 oz. oil or margarine until lightly browned. Add: 1 6-oz. can tomato paste and 3 6-oz. cans water. Blend smooth. Lay 8 ½-lb. pieces fish fillet such as haddock, halibut, etc., at bottom of pan. Lay overfish: 8 wedges cabbage, 2 inches wide 8 halves sweet potato. Cover tightly and simmer for one hour over low heat until vegetables and fish are done. Add 1 4-oz. jar whole pimientos and cook for 2 minutes longer. In a large soup plate: Arrange 1 cup cooked rice as a bed. Place 1 Fish portion in the centre. Arrange around the fish: 1 cabbage wedge, 1 sweet potato half, 1 whole pimiento, hot chili pepper (from a jar).
Country: Senegal