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1
Desalt and poach the lisa
2 hours 10 minutes
Simmering (95°C / 203°F)
Rinse the salted lisa under cold water, then soak it in a large bowl of cold water for 2 hours, changing the water 3 times so the salt keeps leaching out. Put the fish in a pot with 480 ml of fresh water and poach gently for 10 minutes, until it flakes easily. Lift the fish out, strain and keep the cooking liquid, then flake the flesh with your fingertips, removing skin and all the fine bones.
Take your time with the bones — lisa has fine pin bones, and a patient hand makes the difference between a good rice and a crunchy one.
Done when: Fish flakes easily and tastes pleasantly salty, not harsh; the liquid smells of the sea.
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2
Cook the sofrito
11 minutes
Medium heat (180°C / 350°F)
Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the spring onions, tomato, red pepper and sweet pepper for about 5 minutes until softened, then add the garlic, cumin and annatto and cook for 3 minutes more, stirring, until the mixture turns brick-red and smells sweet. Fold in the flaked lisa and cook for 3 minutes so the fish takes on the sofrito.
Do not rush the sofrito — the achiote needs a few minutes in the hot oil to give the rice its golden-red colour.
Done when: Sofrito is soft, brick-red and fragrant, with the flaked fish mixed through.
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3
Toast the rice and add the liquids
5 minutes
Medium heat (180°C / 350°F)
Add the drained rice to the pot and stir for about 3 minutes, coating every grain in the sofrito until it looks glossy. Pour in the 480 ml of reserved fish liquid and the coconut milk, add the salt only after tasting, and stir once.
Taste the liquid now — it should be well seasoned but not salty, because the rice concentrates the salt as it cooks.
Done when: Rice grains are glossy and coated in the red-orange sofrito; the liquid is golden.
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4
Simmer, covered
25 minutes
Simmering (95°C / 203°F)
Bring the pot to a boil, then cover with a tight lid, lower the heat to the gentlest simmer, and cook for 25 minutes without lifting the lid. The rice should absorb all the liquid and the fish should be cooked through to 63°C (145°F).
Stir only once before covering — after this the rice must be left alone, or it turns sticky. If your lid is loose, lay a clean tea towel under it to seal the steam in.
Done when: No liquid is visible on the surface; the rice is tender and golden all the way through.
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5
Rest and serve on a bijao leaf
5 minutes
Serving hot (above 60°C / 140°F)
Take the pot off the heat and leave it covered for 5 minutes. Lift the lid, scatter the cilantro over the top and fluff the rice gently with a fork. Serve hot on a bijao or banana leaf, with fried plantain, avocado salad, boiled yuca and a hard-boiled egg on the side, and a spoonful of suero costeño over the top.
Fluff with a fork, never a spoon — a spoon mashes the grains and the fish.
Done when: Rice is fluffy and separate, golden-red all the way through, with flakes of lisa in every spoonful.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve generous mounds of the golden-red rice on a bijao leaf, with fried plantain, avocado salad, boiled yuca and suero costeño alongside, and lime wedges at the table.
Colombia
2h
