Poisson Farci (Fish Stuffed with Forcemeat and Eggs)
Poisson Farci is a traditional Senegalese recipe for a classic dish of fish stuffed with fish forcemeat and hard-boiled eggs that's sliced to serve. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Senegalese version of: Fish Stuffed with Forcemeat and Eggs (Poisson Farci).
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Originally a Moroccan dish, this has become a Senegalese classic. A fish is cleaned and then filled with fish forcemeat and boiled eggs before being barbecued or oven baked to cook. The fish is then sliced into steaks so the eggs and forcemeat are visible in the centre of the slices. For this recipe, you need a whole fish that's long enough and large enough to hold the eggs and forcemeat. Something like a barracuda would be ideal.
Ingredients:
1 large-ish fish, cleaned and gutted (a barracuda would be ideal)
4 hard-boiled eggs
For the fish Stuffing:
For the fillings:
450g minced fish
1 clove of garlic
Fresh herbs; a few leaves of parsley and coriander
1 hot chilli
4 slices of onion
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt and black pepper, to taste
oil for greasing
sliced onions, to garnish
salad, to accompany
Method:
Chop the fish in a food processor. Combine the herbs, garlic and chilli in a mortar and pound to a paste. Add the onion and pound once more. Now add the seasonings, followed by the minced fish. Pound everything together until you have a smooth paste. Season to taste with salt and black pepper
Use this paste to line the body cavity of your whole fish. Nestle the boiled eggs inside, then fill the gaps between the eggs with the forcemeat. Now cover the eggs in the forcemeat so they can't be seen. Tie the belly of the fish closed with butcher's twine.
Arrange the fish on a greased baking tray, transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180C and bake for 30 minutes. Alternately, plance on a hot barbecue and cook for 15-10 minutes per side.
Allow the fish to cool slightly, slice into steaks and serve with onion rings, a salad and crusty bread.
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