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1
Peel and cut the roots
15 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Peel the yuca, ñame and ocumo and cut them into large chunks. Peel and chunk the pumpkin, peel the green plantain and cut it into thick rounds, and cut each corn ear into 3 rounds. Chop the onion into large pieces, seed and finely chop the ají dulce, and crush the garlic.
Peel yuca thickly — the brown skin and the woody core both come out, and a thin peel leaves bitter fibres behind.
Done when: All roots peeled and cut into large, even chunks; aromatics ready.
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2
Simmer the roots
20 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Put the water in a large pot with the onion, ají dulce and garlic, and bring it to a gentle simmer. Add the yuca, ñame, ocumo, pumpkin, plantain and corn, season with half the salt, and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until the roots are nearly tender when pierced with a knife.
Keep it at a bare simmer, not a rolling boil — hard boiling breaks the roots apart and clouds the broth.
Done when: Roots nearly tender; broth golden and fragrant.
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3
Make the sofrito
8 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
While the roots simmer, heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add a spoonful of the chopped onion and ají dulce saved from the prep, cook for about 5 minutes until soft and sweet, then stir the sofrito into the pot. Taste and add the rest of the salt if needed.
The sofrito is a small pot of flavour, not a second soup — a few spoonfuls is enough to wake the broth up.
Done when: Sofrito soft and sweet, stirred into the broth.
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4
Add the fish and finish
12 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 90°C (195°F)
Lay the snapper steaks gently into the pot, spooning broth over them, and simmer for 10–12 minutes until the fish is opaque, flakes easily, and reaches 63°C (145°F) at its thickest point. Do not stir hard or the steaks will break. Take the pot off the heat and rest it for 5 minutes.
Fish goes in last and cooks gently — 10 minutes too long turns firm steaks into flakes floating in the soup.
Done when: Fish opaque and 63°C (145°F) inside; roots tender.
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5
Serve with casabe and lime
5 Mins
Hot, about 75°C (167°F)
Ladle the soup into deep bowls so every serving gets fish, roots, plantain and corn. Scatter with cilantro and serve at once with casabe and lime wedges on the side.
Serve the lime on the side, not in the pot — some people love the sharp squeeze, others want the plain broth.
Done when: Deep bowls with fish, roots and corn; cilantro on top.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Ladle into deep bowls so every serving gets a piece of fish and a mix of roots, and serve at once with casabe for breaking into the broth and lime wedges for squeezing over the top.
Venezuela
3h
