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Ecuador · Spanish Mackerel

Ecuadorian Coconut Fish Encocado

Encocado de Pescado

Esmeraldas, on Ecuador’s green northern coast, is coconut country. Its signature pot is encocado: fish simmered in coconut milk with a sofrito colored gold by achiote.

  • Prep 20 min
  • Cook 30 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy
Photo: Asif Saleh · CC BY-SA 4.0
Served with: Tostones with Garlic Dip ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the fish

For the encocado

Method

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

  1. Season the fish. Rub the fish with the lime juice, garlic, cumin and salt. Let it sit 15 minutes.
  2. Make the refrito. Heat the oil with the achiote in a wide pot. Add the onion, pepper and garlic and cook over medium heat 6–8 minutes until soft. Add the tomatoes and cook 5 minutes more.
  3. Add the coconut. Pour in the coconut milk, add the cumin and salt and simmer gently 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Don’t let it boil hard or it will split.
  4. Cook the fish. Slide the fish into the sauce, cover and simmer 8–10 minutes until it flakes.
  5. Serve. Stir in half the cilantro, scatter the rest on top and serve with white rice and crispy patacones.

On the side

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

Puerto Rico & the Spanish Caribbean

Tostones with Garlic Dip

Tostones con Mojo de Ajo

Green plantains fried twice: soft inside, crackly outside. Every fried-fish plate in Puerto Rico comes with a pile of these.

  • Prep 10 min
  • Cook 15 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 2 large green plantains
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 tsp salt, plus more to finish
  • 4 garlic cloves (for the dip)
  • ¼ cup olive oil (for the dip)
  • 1 tbsp lime juice (for the dip)

How to make it

  1. First fry. Peel the plantains and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Fry in oil at 325 °F (165 °C) for 4–5 minutes until tender but still pale.
  2. Smash. Drain, then press each piece flat to about ½ inch (1 cm) with the bottom of a glass or a tostonera.
  3. Second fry. Fry again at 365 °F (185 °C) for 2–3 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain and salt right away.
  4. Garlic dip. Mash the garlic with a pinch of salt, then stir in the olive oil and lime juice. Serve on the side for dipping.

Photo: やましこ · CC BY-SA 2.0

More ways to cook Spanish Mackerel

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Sesimbra, PortugalPortuguese Grilled Mackerel with Green Sauce
Gros Islet, St. LuciaSt. Lucian Creole Fish
Essaouira, MoroccoMoroccan Chermoula Grilled Mackerel