Thieboudienne (Senegalese red rice with fish)

Method

1. 1

   Make the rof by mixing the ground parsley, garlic and chilli, then stuff the whole fish with it through small slits.

2. 2

   Lightly fry the stuffed fish in hot oil until pale golden on the outside, then set aside.

3. 3

   In the same oil, fry the onion and garlic with the tomato paste to make the base of a rich red sauce.

4. 4

   Add the water, salt, tamarind (if using) and the vegetables (cassava, carrots, cabbage, aubergine) and cook until the vegetables are tender. Then lift the fish and vegetables out of the broth.

5. 5

   Cook the broken rice in the remaining rich broth until it absorbs all the flavour and forms a light crispy crust at the bottom known as “xooñ”. Serve the rice topped with the fish and vegetables; it is Senegal’s most famous national dish.