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Brazil · Peacock Bass

Amazon Roasted Stuffed Peacock Bass

Tucunaré Assado Recheado

Along the Rio Negro the prize tucunaré is stuffed with a buttery cassava-flour farofa, wrapped up and roasted whole. It is the centerpiece of a Manaus family lunch.

  • Prep 30 min
  • Cook 50 min
  • Serves 4–6
  • Level Medium
Photo: avlxyz · CC BY-SA 2.0
Served with: Brazilian Tomato and Onion Vinaigrette ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the fish

For the farofa stuffing

Method

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

  1. Season the fish. Cut 3 shallow slashes on each side. Rub inside and out with the lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Let it sit 30 minutes in the fridge.
  2. Make the farofa. Melt the butter in a pan and cook the onion, pepper and garlic 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes for 2 minutes, then stir in the cassava flour, herbs and olives until it looks like damp sand. Season.
  3. Stuff and wrap. Heat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Fill the belly with farofa (save the extra), close it with toothpicks, lay the fish on oiled foil, drizzle with olive oil and seal the foil.
  4. Roast. Bake 35 minutes, then open the foil and roast 10–15 minutes more until the skin browns and the meat flakes at the thickest part.
  5. Serve. Warm the leftover farofa and serve it beside the fish with vinagrete and white rice.

On the side

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

Brazil

Brazilian Tomato and Onion Vinaigrette

Molho à Campanha (Vinagrete)

A fresh chopped salsa of tomato, onion and green pepper in vinegar and oil. At every Brazilian churrasco and beach grill it goes over the fish and rice.

  • Prep 15 min
  • Cook 0 min
  • Serves 6
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley or cilantro
  • ¼ cup white or red wine vinegar
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

How to make it

  1. Chop small. Dice the tomato, onion and pepper into small, even pieces, about ¼ inch (5 mm).
  2. Dress. Mix the vegetables and herbs in a bowl. Add the vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper and stir well.
  3. Rest. Let it sit 15–30 minutes so the onion mellows. Stir again and serve cold with a spoon.

Photo: Wilfredor · CC0

More ways to cook Peacock Bass

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Guri, VenezuelaVenezuelan Fried Peacock Bass
Iquitos, PeruAmazon Fish Grilled in Bijao Leaves
Lago Guajataca, Puerto RicoPan-Fried Peacock Bass Fillets with Cilantro Mojo