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
- Heat oven to 200ºC.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- Serve the fish on a serving platter surrounded by the potatoes with the mojo sauces on the side.