TAPADO GARIFUNA

Tapado Garifuna (Seafood Coconut Soup)

I met my bestie as a freshman in college. The first time I heard her talk to her mom on the phone and she started speaking Spanish I was shocked! I said, “black people speak Spanish?!” Spanish is her first language and she was my first exposure to Afro-Latin and Garifuna culture. This is my bestie's mom's recipe for a rich Honduran seafood stew made with fish, shrimp, coconut milk, green plantains, and aromatic herbs, simmered to a comforting, tropical depth of flavor.

Yield: 4 - 6 servings

PREP IT!             

• 1 tablespoon Coconut oil

• 1 medium Yellow onion, sliced

• 1 each Bell pepper (any color), sliced

• 3 cloves Garlic, minced

• 2 each Tomatoes, chopped

• 1 teaspoon Thyme (fresh or dried)

• 1 teaspoon Oregano (fresh or dried)

• ½ teaspoon Taste Tutor Sazon Seasoning

• 1 each Habanero pepper, whole (don’t cut unless you like heat!)

• 2 large Ripe plantains, peeled and sliced into 8 thick chunks

• 2 large Green plantains, peeled and sliced into 8 thick chunks

• 1 cans (13.5 ounces) Coconut milk (fresh coconut milk is great if you can get it or make it)

• ¾ cup (6 ounces) Fish broth

• 1½ teaspoon Taste Tutor Seasoning 101

• ½ pound Fish fillets (snapper, grouper, sea bass, or your favorite firm white fish)

• ½ pounds Shrimp, cleaned and deveined

• ½ pound Crab legs or lobster (optional, but special)

• ½ bunch Fresh culantro or cilantro, chopped, for garnish

MAKE IT!

1. Heat coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and bell peppers and cook for 4–5 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

2. Add tomatoes, thyme, oregano, Taste Tutor Sazón, and whole habanero peppers. Stir and cook for 5 minutes until tomatoes soften.

3. Add both green and ripe plantains to the pot. Pour in coconut milk and fish broth. Stir gently, bring to a light boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 20–25 minutes, until plantains are tender.

4. Season fish and shrimp lightly with Taste Tutor Seasoning 101. Gently place fish, shrimp, and crab or lobster (if using) into the pot. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, until seafood is cooked through. Do not stir too much to keep fish intact.

5. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Remove habanero peppers if desired. Garnish with fresh culantro or cilantro and serve hot.

Tip: Serve Tapado with white rice, coconut rice, or crusty bread to soak up the coconut broth. Her mom normally makes it with machuca, a simple mash of boiled green plantains (sometimes mixed with ripe plantain), pounded or mashed with salt and a little of the cooking liquid until it reaches a consistency similar to eba; recipes vary by family, and some keep it very simple.

Reheat leftovers: on the stove top or in the microwave.