Recipe: Shad Fillets in Coconut Milk (Sabalo Guisado con Coco) -Colombia

SHAD FILLETS IN COCONUT MILK (SABALO GUISADO CON COCO)
Source: The Book of Latin American Cooking by Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz, 1979
Servings: 6

3 pounds boned shad fillets*, cut into 6 pieces
3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 or 2 fresh hot red or green peppers**, left whole with stem on
salt, freshly ground pepper
4 cups thin coconut milk, about
1 cup thick coconut milk

Arrange the fish fillets in a shallow flameproof casserole and cover with the tomatoes and onion. Lay the hot peppers on top. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour in the thin coconut milk, and simmer for about 10 minutes*** or until this fish is no longer translucent. A simple rule is to measure the thickness of the fish and cook it 10 minutes to the inch.

Carefully lift out the fish onto a serving platter and keep warm. Discard the hot peppers.

Reduce the liquid in the casserole to about 1 cup over brisk heat.

Add the thick coconut milk and simmer just long enough to heat the sauce through. Strain the sauce but do not push the solids through the sieve.

Pour the sauce over the fish. Serve with rice.

*Any firm-fleshed white fish can be used for this dish when shad is not in season, making it it Pescado Guisado con Coco (Fish Cooked in Coconut Milk).

**If the peppers are very hot (nibble a tiny bit to check), the sauce may be too picante for some tastes. A simple solution is to take the peppers out of the sauce after 2 or 3 minutes instead of leaving them there for the full cooking time.

***The fish may be cooked in a preheated moderate (350 F) oven. In this case bring the liquid just to a simmer on top of the stove, transfer the casserole to the oven, and cook for 10 minutes to the inch, which will be about 10 minutes for fillets. Make the sauce in the same way.