Book of Days Tales

On this date in 1835, HMS Beagle, with Charles Darwin aboard, reached the Galápagos Islands. The ship landed at Chatham, or San Cristobal, the easternmost island of the archipelago. His visit to the Galápagos Islands is justly famous because of the observations he made there that helped him develop the general principles of natural selection. But it is important to remember that he was in the Galápagos for a little over a month on a voyage that lasted five years and circumnavigated the globe. In his journal he wrote:

The inhabitants, although complaining of poverty, obtain, without much trouble, the means of subsistence. In the woods there are many wild pigs and goats; but the staple article of animal food is supplied by the tortoises. Their numbers have of course been greatly reduced in this island, but the people yet count on two days’ hunting giving them food for the rest of the week.

There are no indigenous inhabitants any longer, and the tortoises are endangered and highly protected. But the locals also ate the abundant fish from the surrounding waters. The Galápagos Islands are part of Ecuador now, and I figured an Ecuadorean fish dish would be more palatable than a recipe for tortoise anyway, and Darwin certainly sampled the local fish. The preferred fish is halibut which is plentiful all around South America, but any firm white fish will work. You can use a fresh coconut to make the sauce; use both the coconut water and grated coconut flesh. I find this to be a lot of work for an end result that differs little from using coconut milk. It is more traditional, though.

Pescado Encocado

Ingredients

2 ½ lbs halibut or firm white fish, cut in chunks

¼ cup lime juice

juice from 2 oranges

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground coriander seeds

2 tbsp sunflower or olive oil

1 medium sized onion, diced

2 bell peppers, diced

4 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped

14 oz can of coconut milk

3 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped

salt

Instructions:

Mix the lime juice, orange juice, crushed garlic, cumin, paprika, coriander, and salt in a small bowl.  Put the fish in a zip top bag, pour in the marinade, close the top with a small hole left, squeeze out the air in the bag, and seal it completely. Lay the bag flat and let the fish marinate, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours, or longer.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add the diced onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and salt to taste. Sauté for 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft but not browned. Add the coconut milk and heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes stirring well to avoid burning.

Take the fish and the marinade and add them to the sauce. Let everything simmer very gently for about 20 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.  Do not overcook the fish. After 15 minutes you can check by trying to separate one of the chunks with a fork.

Serve garnished with chopped cilantro over plain boiled white rice.

Serves 6