Sudado de Pescado (Peruvian Steamed Fish in Chilli Broth)

• White fish: 2 whole chita (grunt) or other white fish, about 700 g each, cleaned and scaled
• 1¼ cups fish stock (simmered 20 min from fish heads and bones with onion, carrot, celery, leek and garlic)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• ¼ cup finely diced onion
• 1 tbsp crushed garlic (ajo molido)
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ají panca paste
• 4 tbsp ají amarillo paste (yellow chilli paste)
• ½ cup finely diced tomato
• ½ slice zapallito loche (or butternut pumpkin), grated
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 2 cups onion in thick strips
• 1½ cups tomato in thick strips
• ½ cup cebollita china (spring onion) tops and stalks
• 1 fresh ají amarillo (yellow chilli), cut in strips
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander plus a few sprigs (sprigs removed)
• 1 cup chicha de jora (Peruvian fermented corn drink)
• a few slices of ají limo (optional)
• salt to taste, plus a little to rub on the fish
• black pepper to taste
• a squeeze of lime, to serve

Method

The cook speaks Spanish; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.

1. Make a fish stock: simmer fish heads and bones in 2 litres of boiling water with onion, carrot, celery, leek, a garlic clove and 1 tsp salt, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then strain. 4:24
2. Trim the fins off the cleaned fish, make a few shallow diagonal cuts on both sides and rub salt over the fish, into the cuts and inside. 6:26
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide, low pot and gently fry the diced onion until translucent, then add the garlic and cumin and fry until the garlic starts to colour. 7:17
4. Add the ají panca and ají amarillo pastes and fry until the oil separates, then the diced tomato and grated loche. Season with oregano, pepper and salt and add a splash of water. 8:02
5. Spread the sauce over the base, scatter half the onion and tomato strips, spring onion and ají strips, lay the fish on top and cover with the rest; tuck coriander sprigs at the sides. 9:50
6. Pour over the chicha de jora and the fish stock, add a little salt, cover and cook 10 minutes. 10:45
7. Baste the fish with the broth, scatter chopped coriander and ají limo, cover and cook 5 minutes more. Remove the sprigs and serve with plenty of broth and a squeeze of lime. 11:47

Tip. The cook says it serves 2 to 4 (she plates a whole fish each); we use 4, half a fish each. Peruvians add boiled yuca and rice. No chicha de jora? Use more fish stock. Any white fish works.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.