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Colombia · Armored Catfish

Colombian Stewed Cucha in Hogao

Cucha Guisada

Along the Magdalena River in Honda and Girardot, cucha is stewed whole in hogao, the tomato and green-onion sauce that runs through all Colombian cooking.

  • Prep 20 min
  • Cook 45 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy
Photo: Anya Dunes · Pexels
Served with: Fried Cassava Sticks ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the fish

For the hogao

Method

Step by step, the way it is done on the island.

  1. Clean the fish. Scrub the cuchas well, rub with lime and salt, rinse and leave whole.
  2. Make the hogao. Heat the oil in a wide pot and cook the green onion and garlic 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cumin, achiote, salt and pepper and cook 10 minutes until thick.
  3. Stew. Nestle the fish in the hogao, add the water and coconut milk, cover and simmer 30 minutes, turning once, until the meat pulls from the armor.
  4. Serve. Scatter the cilantro and serve each person a couple of cuchas with plenty of sauce, white rice and fried yuca.

On the side

The side dish that belongs with it, full recipe included.

Panama

Fried Cassava Sticks

Yuca Frita

Cassava boiled tender, then fried into thick, fluffy fries with a crisp crust. Along Panama’s Pacific coast they come piled next to fried whole fish and a wedge of lime.

  • Prep 10 min
  • Cook 35 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 2 lb (900 g) fresh or frozen cassava (yuca)
  • 1 tbsp salt, for the water
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • Salt to finish
  • 1 lime, in wedges

How to make it

  1. Peel. Cut the cassava into 3-inch (8 cm) pieces, slit the thick skin and peel it off. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.
  2. Boil. Boil in salted water for 15–20 minutes until fork-tender but not falling apart. Drain, pull out the woody center cord and cut into thick sticks.
  3. Dry. Spread the sticks on a towel and let them steam dry for 10 minutes so they fry crisp.
  4. Fry. Fry in oil at 360 °F (180 °C) for 5–7 minutes until golden and crunchy. Drain, salt right away and serve with lime.

Photo: Horacio Cambeiro · CC BY-SA 3.0

More ways to cook Armored Catfish

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Mato Grosso, BrazilBrazilian Armored Catfish Broth
Goiás, BrazilArmored Catfish Roasted in Its Shell over Coals
Arauca, ColombiaLlanero Grilled Corroncho with Ají