Afro-Caribbean domplines boiled until tender and finished in a spicy salt-cod stew with tomato and Scotch bonnet chili. The dumplings absorb the sauce without falling apart while the fish stays flaky and juicy. A hearty, homestyle Panamanian Caribbean dish with plenty of character.
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Rinse the salt cod, place it in a container, and cover it with about 62.5% of the cold water. Desalt for 12 hours under refrigeration, changing the water 3 times. Drain, then cut or separate the cod into large pieces, removing skin or bones if present. Do not add salt to the fish; it will still retain enough seasoning.
Mix the flour with the salt. Add about 30% of the coconut oil and 5.625% of the water little by little, kneading for 3–4 minutes, until the dough is firm, smooth, slightly pliable, and no longer sticky. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
Shape the dough into 16 small domplines, either elongated or slightly flattened. Bring the remaining water to a boil and cook them for 10–12 minutes. They are ready when they have risen and are firm outside and cooked through with no raw flour streak in the center. Reserve about 100 ml of the cooking water and drain the domplines.
Heat the remaining coconut oil in a wide skillet. Sauté the onion, red pepper, sweet chili, and Scotch bonnet chili for 4 minutes, until fragrant but still retaining some structure. Add the garlic, tomato, tomato paste, oregano, and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes, until the sofrito is thick, red, and glossy.
Add the cod to the sofrito along with the reserved 100 ml of domplin cooking water. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring carefully to keep visible flakes, until the fish is fully heated and reaches at least 63°C. Add the domplines and cook for another 3 minutes, gently moving the pan so they become coated in the stew without breaking.
Turn off the heat, fold in the chopped cilantro, and rest for 2 minutes. Serve hot, dividing cod, sofrito, and domplines among the plates. The sauce should coat the dumplings without becoming soupy, and the Scotch bonnet should remain clearly noticeable. And that’s it—domplin with cod, Panamanian Caribbean cooking in one pan.
