Argentina: Chupin de Pescado

Fish doesn't immediately spring to mind when I think about Argentina. Despite a coastline of nearly 5000 kilometres long, it's not a country that I tend to associate with seafood. Beef, yes. Fish, not so much.

However, the dish I served alongside my empanadas is a dish that is traditional in Argentina, Uruguay and, strangely, Paraguay (I say odd because Paraguay is most definitely landlocked). It's typical to the Entre Rios province in northeastern Argentina, and I have to say, it was completely delicious.

I am noticing a trend with my dishes that I'm cooking: beige.
I can't help it, I just don't seem to be cooking anything that has any colour. Even if I use red spices or peppers or anything like that, it still turns out... beige. Not that there's a problem with beige food, but it's certainly been playing on my mind a bit. Even the smallest amount parsley in my chupin de pescado brings a bit of green into my dish, and I think it was a big relief.

I chose to use cod for this dish, but any firm white fish will do. Oily fish does not seem to come recommended, but I can definitely say that the cod worked very well. It was a simple enough dish as well, easy enough to prepare the ingredients and the majority of the time spent cooking was passive - something I like a lot!

I thought the chupin de pescado was delicious. The potatoes held their integrity throughout their cooking (even though I definitely cut some of them too thin), and the stew took on the flavours perfectly. I will definitely make this one again!

Chupin de Pescado - Argentinian fish stew
Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 large fillets of cod
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Half a large onion, finely sliced
• Half a red pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 large tomato, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• 1/2 cup fish stock
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 230g potatoes, peeled and cut into slices roughly 7mm thick
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Squeeze lemon juice over the fish, season with salt and pepper and leave to marinade for an hour in the fridge.
2. Heat pan on a medium heat and add oil. Fry the onion, garlic and red pepper for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add the wine and stir for another 2 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, mix well, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
5. Mix in tomato puree, stock, and paprika. Add potatoes, stir well and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Carefully place the fish fillet on top of the stew, cover once again, and leave to cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Remove from heat, sprinkle with parsley, and then cover again for 3 minutes.
8. Serve.