Attike With Fish Recipe

Combine dry flours

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cassava flour, maize (corn) flour and salt until evenly combined.

Make a slurry

Gradually add 1 cup cold water to the dry flours while stirring with a wooden spoon or whisk to form a smooth batter without lumps. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Cover and let rest 10 minutes so the flours hydrate.

Steam/Set the Attike

Prepare a double-boiler or steamer: bring about 1–2 inches of water to a simmer in a large pot. Place the bowl with the batter over (not touching) the simmering water or use a steamer basket. Stir the batter occasionally and add 2 tablespoons of warm water if the surface begins to dry. After 10–12 minutes of gentle steaming and stirring, the batter will begin to thicken and form a slightly grainy, moist crumb texture. Remove from heat.

Final texture and oil

Transfer the cooked porridge into a clean bowl. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and fluff the attike with a fork to separate grains. If the mixture seems too stiff, gradually fold in up to 1/4 cup warm water until a moist, crumbly consistency is reached (like couscous). Keep warm, covered, while preparing the fish.

Prepare and season fish

Rinse fish fillets and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into serving-size pieces if large. Place fish in a bowl, drizzle with lime juice, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and let marinate 10 minutes while you prepare aromatics.

Prep vegetables

Peel and thinly slice the onion. Core and chop tomatoes into small dice. Mince garlic and the optional chili finely. Chop basil or cilantro.

Sauté aromatics

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and sauté 3–4 minutes until softened and translucent. Add minced garlic and chili and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant (do not burn).

Build the sauce

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then add the chopped tomatoes. Cook 4–6 minutes until tomatoes start to break down. Add 1/2 cup fish or vegetable stock, stir, and simmer 3–4 minutes to form a slightly saucy consistency. Taste and season with additional salt if needed.

Cook the fish in sauce

Gently nestle the marinated fish pieces into the simmering sauce. Spoon sauce over the tops, cover the pan, and reduce heat to low. Poach the fish 6–8 minutes depending on thickness, until opaque and flaky (internal temperature about 63°C / 145°F). Avoid overcooking. Once cooked, remove pan from heat and sprinkle chopped basil/cilantro over the fish.

Finish

If the sauce is too thin, remove fish onto a plate and simmer sauce uncovered 1–2 minutes to thicken, then return fish to the pan briefly to reheat. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lime juice to taste.

To serve, mound warm attike on each plate (use a ring mold for a neat presentation if desired). Spoon the fish and tomato sauce alongside or over the attike. Scatter sliced scallions and chopped parsley/cilantro on top, and serve with lime wedges on the side. Leftovers: store fish in sauce refrigerated up to 2 days and attike separate in an airtight container for best texture.