THIEBOUDIENNE

Thieboudienne (Ceebu Jën - The ORIGINAL Jollof Rice with Fish & Vegetables from Senegal)

Na nga def (How are you)?! For my birthday in 2023, my brother and I celebrated in Senegal! It was a trip full of culture, connection, flavor, sibling antics, and a few Wolof words! Learning to make Thieboudienne from the amazing Aïta (@gueun_bii) was one of the most rewarding and unforgettable highlights of our journey! She opened her home to my brother and I, and it’s an experience I’ll never forget. Here is the recipe written down based on the way she taught me to make it. I tried to add the Wolof word for each ingredient. If it is incorrect, please correct me in the comments! Jërëjëf (Thank you)!

Yield: Enough for EVERYBODY!

PREP IT!    

For the Fish Stuffing (Rof)

  • 8 cloves Garlic, fresh, minced

  • ½ bunch Parsley, fresh, finely chopped

  • 1 teaspoon Cameroon pepper

  • 1 tablespoon Taste Tutor Seasoning 101

  • 1 pound Fish, whole or thick steak (red snapper, grouper, or thiof [white grouper]), cleaned, scored with 2–3 diagonal slits

For Base Sauce

  • 1½ cups Peanut oil (Néegu)

  • Stuffed fish (from above)

  • 3 small Yellow onions, fresh, diced

  • 4 Habanero peppers, fresh, whole

  • ½ cup Double-concentrated tomato paste, diluted with ¼ cup water

  • 2 pieces Dried snail (Yeet), cleaned

  • 1 chunk Cassava, peeled and left whole

  • 1 large Cayenne pepper, fresh, halved

  • 1 large Serrano chili, fresh, halved

To Build the Broth

  • 6 cups Water

  • 15 White hibiscus flowers (Bissap blanc), rinsed and briefly soaked

  • 3 tablespoons Taste Tutor Seasoning 101

  • 2 large Carrots, peeled — 1 left whole, 1 reserved for shrimp sauce

  • 1 small Cabbage, halved or quartered

  • 3 large Okra, whole

  • Wrapped pouch of Hibiscus leaves (Lalo) + 1 piece Dried fish (Guedj), tied with kitchen twine

  • 1 medium Eggplant, halved or quartered

  • 1 small Kabocha squash or Pumpkin (Naajo), peeled and quartered

  • 1 large Cayenne pepper, fresh, whole

  • 1 large Serrano chili, fresh, whole

  • 2 large habaneros, fresh, whole

  • Remaining parsley-garlic stuffing (Rof)

For the Shrimp Sauce

  • 1 small Yellow onion, fresh

  • 1 large cayenne pepper, fresh

  • 1 large Serrano chili, fresh

  • ½ cup Peanut oil

  • 1 large Turnip, peeled and diced

  • Reserved carrot, diced

  • 1 tablespoon Tomato paste

  • 2 cups Reserved broth (from pot)

  • 7 medium Shrimp, raw, cleaned and peeled

For the Rice

  • 4 cups Broken rice (or jasmine rice, lightly cracked)

  • 3 tablespoons Tamarind paste (or 7 pieces tamarind pulp)

  • 2 teaspoons Cameroon pepper

MAKE IT!

Prepare the Fish Stuffing (Rof)

  1. Using a mortar and pestle or blender, pound or blend garlic, parsley, Cameroon pepper, and 1 tablespoon Taste Tutor Seasoning 101 into a coarse paste.

  2. Score the fish with 2–3 diagonal slits per side. Stuff each slit and the cavity with the paste. Set aside.

Make the Base Sauce (Xooñ)

  1. Heat peanut oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.

  2. Fry the stuffed fish until golden on each side. Remove and set aside.

  3. Add diced onion and whole habaneros. Cook, stirring, until onions are dark brown.

  4. Stir in diluted tomato paste, snails, cassava, and halved peppers. Cook until paste caramelizes, turns deep red, and oil separates.

Build the Broth

  1. Add 6 cups water, hibiscus flowers, and 3 tablespoons Taste Tutor Seasoning 101. Cover tightly and bring to a boil (15 minutes).

  2. Add 1 whole carrot, cabbage, and okra. Cover ¾ with lid and simmer on low.

  3. After 40 minutes, gently return stuffed fish to broth.

  4. Wrap hibiscus leaves around dried fish (Guedj) and secure with twine. Place pouch in broth.

  5. Add eggplant, squash, 1 whole cayenne, 1 whole serrano, 2 whole habaneros, and the remaining Rof. Simmer 1 hour.

Make the Shrimp Sauce

  1. Blend onion, cayenne, and serrano into a rough paste.

  2. Heat oil in a small pot. Fry the paste until water cooks out (6–8 min).

  3. Add diced turnip, diced carrot, and tomato paste. Fry until paste deepens in color.

  4. Stir in 2 cups broth from main pot. Simmer 20 min until reduced by half.

  5. Add shrimp and cook 5 minutes. Turn off heat, cover, and let rest.

Remove & Reserve

  1. After 1 hour, broth should be reduced by about ¼.

  2. Carefully remove fish and vegetables to an oven-safe pan. Drizzle with 1 cup broth, cover, and keep warm in a 170°F oven.

  3. Taste broth and adjust salt/spice. It should be deeply savory, slightly salty, and layered in flavor.

Cook the Rice

  1. Rinse rice until water runs clear.

  2. Stir tamarind paste and Cameroon pepper into the broth.

  3. Add rice, making sure liquid just covers it by about ½ inch (roughly 6 cups liquid to 4 cups rice).

  4. Cover pot tightly with foil, then lid. Steam on low until rice is tender and fluffy (35–45 min).

  5. Once cooked, fluff rice gently. Let it form a light crust (xooñ) at the bottom for authentic flavor.

Assemble & Serve

  1. Spread rice on a large serving platter.

  2. Arrange fish in the center, surrounded by vegetables.

  3. Spoon shrimp and sauce over top. Add wilted hibiscus leaves.

  4. Garnish with hot peppers for extra spice.

  5. Serve hot! Traditionally shared from one platter with family and friends.

Tip: Got questions? Hit up Aïta (@gueun_bii)!

Reheat leftovers: in the oven or in the microwave.

West AfricanAdunni Ogunlanohrecipe, onion, garlic, seasoning, rice, jollof, jollof rice, thieboudienne, Senegal, SenegalesesComment