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Puerto Rico · White Catfish

Puerto Rican Stewed Catfish

Bagre Guisado

In the mountain towns around Lago Dos Bocas, catfish goes into the same pot as a Sunday chicken stew: sofrito, tomato sauce, olives, capers and potatoes, simmered until thick. Rice and beans on the side.

  • Prep 20 min
  • Cook 35 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy
Photo: Bicanski on Pixnio · CC0
Served with: Puerto Rican Stewed Beans ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the fish

For the stew

Method

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

  1. Season the fish. Rub the catfish with lime juice and adobo and let it sit while you start the sauce.
  2. Cook the sofrito. Warm the annatto oil in a caldero over medium heat and cook the sofrito 4–5 minutes until fragrant.
  3. Build the sauce. Add the tomato sauce, sazón, olives, capers, potatoes, bay leaf and water. Cover and simmer 15 minutes until the potatoes are almost tender.
  4. Add the fish. Lay the catfish in the sauce, cover and simmer on low 10–12 minutes until it flakes. Shake the pot gently instead of stirring.
  5. Serve. Taste for salt, sprinkle with cilantro and serve over white rice with habichuelas guisadas.

On the side

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

Photo coming soon
Puerto Rico

Puerto Rican Stewed Beans

Habichuelas Guisadas

Pink beans stewed with sofrito, ham and soft chunks of pumpkin. Ladle them over white rice next to fried fish and you have a proper Puerto Rican lunch.

  • Prep 10 min
  • Cook 30 min
  • Serves 6
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 2 cans (15 oz) pink or red beans, with their liquid
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 oz (60 g) diced ham (optional)
  • ¼ cup sofrito (recaito)
  • ¼ cup tomato sauce
  • 1 packet sazón with achiote (or ½ tsp ground annatto)
  • 1 cup calabaza or butternut squash, in ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes
  • 1½ cups water
  • 8 green olives (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it

  1. Fry the base. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Fry the ham 2 minutes, then add the sofrito and cook 3 minutes.
  2. Add the rest. Stir in the tomato sauce and sazón, then the beans with their liquid, the squash, water and olives.
  3. Simmer. Simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes until the squash is very soft and the sauce thickens.
  4. Thicken. Mash a few pieces of squash against the pot to thicken the broth. Season with salt and pepper and serve over white rice.

More ways to cook White Catfish

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Fortaleza, Ceará, BrazilCeará-Style Fish and Vegetable Stew
Maracaibo, VenezuelaGriddled Catfish with Guasacaca
Pinar del Río, CubaCuban Breaded Catfish