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1
Cook the squashes and blend the base
30 minutes
Simmering (about 100°C / 212°F)
Put the diced butternut squash and zucchini in a large pot with just enough water to cover and simmer for about 25 minutes until completely soft. Blend the squashes with their cooking water and the cooked rice until smooth, then return the puree to the pot.
Blend the rice in with the squash — it is what thickens the soup without flour.
Done when: The squashes fall apart at a touch and the puree is thick, smooth and golden.
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2
Make the refrito and peanut milk
10 minutes
Medium heat (about 160°C / 320°F)
Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft, then stir in the garlic, cumin and achiote and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the ground peanut paste with a ladle of milk and cook for 2 minutes until it loosens into a smooth sauce.
Bloom the cumin and achiote in the hot butter — the fat carries their colour and flavour through the whole pot.
Done when: The onion is soft and golden, and the peanut paste is smooth and fragrant.
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3
Poach the cod in milk
12 minutes
Gentle heat (about 80°C / 175°F), cod to 63°C (145°F)
Put the soaked, drained cod in a saucepan with the remaining milk and poach very gently for about 12 minutes, until the fish flakes easily and reaches 63°C (145°F) in the thickest part. Lift the cod out, flake it into bite-sized pieces, and keep the milk — it goes into the pot.
Never let the milk boil around the cod — it toughens the fish and can split the milk.
Done when: The cod flakes cleanly with a fork and is opaque all the way through.
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4
Combine the grains and simmer
20 minutes
Low simmer (about 90°C / 195°F)
Pour the refrito, the peanut milk and the cod poaching milk into the squash pot. Add the cabbage and all the cooked grains — fava beans, lupini, corn, peas, lima beans, white beans, lentils and chickpeas — and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring often so nothing catches on the bottom.
Stir from the bottom up — the thick base scorches easily if it sits still.
Done when: The soup is thick enough to coat a spoon and the grains are heated all the way through.
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5
Stir in the cheese, cream and cod
10 minutes
Low heat (about 80°C / 175°F)
Turn the heat to its lowest setting. Stir in the cream and half of the crumbled queso fresco until melted, then fold in the flaked cod. Season with the salt only after tasting — the cod is salty — and cook for 5 more minutes without letting the pot boil.
Taste before salting — a well-soaked cod may need no salt at all.
Done when: The cheese has melted into the soup, the cod is warmed through, and the soup is creamy and steaming.
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6
Fry the plantain and serve
15 minutes
Medium heat (about 170°C / 340°F) for the plantain
Fry the plantain slices in the hot oil for 2–3 minutes per side until deep golden, and drain briefly. Ladle the soup into deep bowls, lay half a boiled egg and a few slices of fried plantain on each, and scatter the remaining queso fresco over the top.
Serve at once — the garnishes sink if the bowls sit, and fanesca is best steaming hot.
Done when: Each bowl is steaming, golden and thick, with egg, plantain and cheese on top.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve in deep bowls with a halved egg, a few slices of fried plantain and a sprinkle of queso fresco on each, with extra cheese and hot sauce on the table.
Ecuador
30m
