Biche de pescado, or viche de pescado, is a traditional coastal Ecuadorian soup made with fish, peanuts, yuca, sweet plantains, corn, and other vegetables and spices.
Course Soup
Cuisine Ecuadorian, Latin, South American
Keyword Biche de pescado, Ecuadorian viche, Fish soup
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour15 minutesminutes
Servings 8
Ingredients
Fish and peanut broth
½ - ¾lbfish heads and bonesor use a small whole fish
8cups+ 2-4 cups wateradjust based on how thick you want the soup
1cupmilk
1cuppeanutslightly toasted
2tbssunflower oil
1cupchopped red onion
1tspground cumin
4garlic clovescrushed
Salt to taste
Fish soup
2lbswhite fish filletshalibut, monkfish, ling cod, sea bass, etc, cut in medium sized pieces
1 ½lbyuca or cassavapeeled and quartered, fresh or frozen
2very ripe plantainsthe ones that are starting to get black, sliced in about 10 rounds per plantains
2corn earscut into 6-8 small rounds per ear of corn
2-3finely chopped cilantro or parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
To serve:
Lime slices
Hot sauce
Instructions
Fish and peanut broth
Bring 8 cups of lightly salted water to boil, add the fish heads, bones and other pieces, boil for about 30 minutes or until the pieces begin to come apart, strain the broth.
Heat the 2 tbs of oil over medium heat to prepare a quick refrito, add the onions, garlic, cumin and salt, cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
Blend the lightly toasted peanuts with the refrito, the milk, and 2 cups of the fish broth, blend until smooth.
Strain the peanut, milk, refrito and broth mixture and mix with the remaining fish broth plus 2-4 cups of cold water.
Fish soup
Heat the 2 tbs of oil over medium heat; add the chopped onions, garlic, pepper, achiote powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and cook over low heat until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
Add the fish peanut broth and bring to a gentle boil.
Add the corn, the yuca and the 2 tbs of peanut butter. Simmer for about 35-40 minutes or until the yuca is cooked.
Add the plantain slices and the fish chunks, cook on low heat until the fish is cooked, about 8-10 minutes.
Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and serve warm with lime slices.