A deeply home-style Amazonian fish stew. Browned doncella finishes in a creamy bread, milk and sweet-chili sauce scented with sacha cilantro and regional spices. Fried bellaco plantain completes this hearty, distinctly Amazonian dish.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Tear the French bread into pieces and soak it in the fresh milk for 5 minutes, until completely soft. Remove the seeds from the sweet chili and blend it into a paste; slice the bellaco plantain into thick rounds and keep them ready for frying.
Heat part of the vegetable oil in a skillet and fry the bellaco plantain in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden outside and tender inside. Remove with a skimmer and drain on paper towels.
Cut the doncella fish into large pieces and season with part of the salt and pepper. Heat the remaining oil in a pot and brown the fish for 2 minutes per side, just until lightly golden on the surface; carefully remove and set aside.
In the same pot, cook the red onion for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the ground garlic, turmeric, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, remaining pepper, part of the sacha cilantro, and remaining salt; cook for 2 minutes, until the seasoning base is golden, fragrant and thoroughly combined.
Add the sweet-chili paste and the bread with all of its soaking milk. Cook over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly and breaking down the bread with the spoon, until the sauce becomes creamy, thick and free of large bread pieces. Remove the bay leaf.
Return the doncella to the sauce and cook over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, gently shaking the pot rather than stirring so the fish does not break apart. Turn off the heat and finish with the remaining sacha cilantro. Serve hot with the fried bellaco plantain: the sauce should cling to the fish while the flesh separates into moist flakes. And that's it—the real Ají de Doncella hiding in the Amazon. 🌿🐟
