Fāfaru (Fish in Fermented Prawn Sauce) is a traditional Austral Islands recipe for a classic dish of fresh fish (often tuna) served in a fermented shrimp heat sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Austral Islands version of: Fish in Fermented Prawn Sauce (Fāfaru).
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Fāfaru is a traditional and unusual Polynesian dish. It is distinctive because of its intense aroma of rotten fish. Crushed prawns are marinated in a glass jar filled with seawater, preferably under the sun, for two or three days. The mixture is filtered, and tuna slices are left in the liquid to ferment for three to eight hours, depending on the desired flavour. It is usually made with tuna, but many prefer using haura (swordfish), which keeps better. It is best eaten accompanied by miti hue, (a fermented coconut milk), taro, sweet potatoes and ‘uru (breadfruit).
There are different levels of fermentation available and if it's your first time, it's best to chose a light fermentation. This is counted as the national dish of Tahiti and French Polynesia.
The Austral Islands (particularly Rurutu) Fāfaru is made with chillies as well as prawns, which gives their particular version of this classic French Polynesian dish a bit of a kick.
Ingredients:
400g fresh raw fish (tuna, haura, parrotfish, marara, etc.)
1l sea water
6 raw caddis shrimp heads
4 hot Chillies, minced
Method:
Place the shrimp heads in a container with the sea water and chillies. Cover and let it ferment at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
Strain this fermented liquid with a cloth or a strainer to keep only the juice. This is your miti fafaru.
Cut the raw fish into thick slices. Dip them into the miti fafaru, either homemade or ready-made. You can add a little garlic or chilli pepper if you like it more punchy (this also helps ameliorate the fish smell).
Let it sit for at least 6 hours in a cool place. The longer you let it sit, the more pronounced the flavour will be.
Serve your fafaru with miti hue or fresh coconut milk and a little taro.
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