Recipe: Canaria Fish Sancocho

Sancocho (sometimes spelled samcocho) is a brightly flavored fish dish served all over the Canary Islands (although it can also refer to a Caribbean stew). It works equally well baked in the oven or grilled on the barbecue and I think the bright, bold flavors are particularly summery. I recommend you buy just one big fish serve it whole on a platter and let your guests tear it apart with their hands. Serve with a plain green salad with lots of avocado (the creaminess is a nice foil to the salty flavors of the fish and potatoes) and plenty of cold beer to make it an occasion.

Ingredients (serves four)

• 4 whole sea bass or bream, or 1 large sea bass, or bream, gutted and scaled
• Large handful fresh mint leaves
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 500 g small, new potatoes
• 2-3 tbsp sea salt

For the Mojo Verde

• 200 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 150 ml white wine vinegar
• 6-10 cloves garlic
• 1 large handful fresh coriander (well washed, roughly chopped)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon of cumin

Place the garlic, cumin, vinegar and salt in a blender and puree until finely chopped. On a slower speed mix in the coriander leaves and olive oil until you get the consistency of ketchup.

For the Mojo Rojo

• 200 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 150 ml white wine vinegar
• 6-10 cloves garlic
• 1-3 mid-sized fresh chilies, seeds removed
• ½ teaspoon of cumin
• ½ teaspoon of paprika
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Place all of the ingredients, except the olive oil, in a blender and purée until you have a smooth paste. Slowly add the olive oil to get an emulsion towards the end.

METHOD

1. Heat oven to 200ºC.
2. Sprinkle the fish with salt and stuff the mint leaves into the cavity. Place the fish on a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Add the potatoes to a pan of very salty water (they should float, if they don’t, add more water). Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Drain most of the water from the pot and sprinkle on another layer of salt until it crystallizes. Turn off the heat and cover the pot with a tea towel for five minutes so that the potato skins go wrinkly.
5. While the potatoes are cooking, bake the fish until crisp and brown on the outside, succulent and opaque—but not dry—in the middle (about 20 minutes for small fish, 30-40 minutes for large fish).
6. Serve the fish on a serving platter surrounded by the potatoes with the mojo sauces on the side.