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: 4-5 servings

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

• ¼ cups Peanut oil (Néegu)

• 1 small Yellow onion, fresh, diced

• 1 whole Habanero pepper, fresh

• 1 pod Tamarind, shelled, fibers removed

• ¼ cup Tomato paste, double or triple concentrate

• 2 pieces Dried African (Yeet), cleaned and soaked (Substitute with 2 apple snails if African snail is unavailable)

To Build the Broth

• 6 cups Water

• 8 White hibiscus flowers (Bissap blanc), rinsed and briefly soaked (Substitute with 6 red hibiscus flowers if white hibiscus is unavailable)

• 3 tablespoons Taste Tutor Seasoning 101

• 1 chunk Cassava, peeled and left whole

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

• 1 small Cabbage, halved or quartered

• 1 small Eggplant, halved or quartered

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

• 3 whole Okra pods

• 1 whole Cayenne pepper, fresh

• 1 whole Serrano chili, fresh

• 2 whole habaneros, fresh

• Hibiscus leaves (Lalo) or cheesecloth (for wrapping dried fish)

• 1 piece Fish, dried, salt cured, fermented (Guedj) (wrapped in hibiscus leaves with twine or in cheesecloth)

• 1 cube Shrimp bouillon

• Remaining parsley-garlic stuffing (Rof)

For the Shrimp Sauce

• 1 small Yellow onion, fresh

• 1 large cayenne pepper, fresh

• 1 large Serrano chili, fresh

• ¼ cup Peanut oil

• 1 small Turnip, peeled and diced

• Reserved carrot, diced

• 1 tablespoon Tomato paste

• 1 cup Reserved broth (from pot)

• 12 jumbo Shrimp, raw, cleaned and peeled

For the Rice

• 2 cups Broken rice (or jasmine rice, lightly cracked), washed

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 tamarind, tomato paste, snails, and cook until paste caramelizes, turns deep red, and oil separates.

Build the Broth

1. Add water, hibiscus, and Taste Tutor Seasoning 101. Turn heat to medium-high. Cover pot and bring to a boil.

2. Add cassava, carrot, cabbage, eggplant, squash, okra, peppers, dried fish wrapped in cheese cloth, shrimp bouillon cube, and remaining rof.

3. Simmer on medium heat until vegetables soften and broth becomes rich and savory.

4. Return fish to pot for final 10–15 minutes.

5. Liquid will reduce by half (3 cups).

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 1 cup of broth from main pot. Simmer 20 min until reduced by half.

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

Remove, Reserve, and Cook the Rice

1. Remove fish and vegetables. Keep warm, in preheated oven set to 170°F .

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

3. Add rice directly into broth (liquid should cover by ~½ inch). Turn heat down to medium-low.

4. Cover tightly with foil + lid.

5. Cook until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

6. 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.