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Pico Fish and seafood

Pico Fish Broth (Caldo de Peixe)

Pico fish broth: several kinds of fresh fish poached in a tomato and onion broth, served with potatoes, bread and a raw garlic, parsley and vinegar sauce.

Makes
6 servings
Prep
30 min
Cooking
40 min
Waiting
30 min
Difficulty
Medium

Caldo de peixe is one of the best-known dishes of Pico. It calls for fresh fish of several species, and tradition says the more varied the catch, the richer the broth. The fish is cut into thick steaks and poached in a simple broth of tomato, onion and garlic.

It is eaten in two parts: the fish and potatoes go on a platter, dressed with a raw sauce of garlic, parsley, vinegar and wine, while the broth is served separately, poured over slices of homemade bread or in a bowl to sip. There are many ways of making it, even within the island.

Method

  1. Season the fish steaks with coarse salt and leave them for about 30 minutes.

  2. Boil the whole potatoes in salted water and keep them warm.

  3. In a wide pan, bring the water to the boil with the olive oil, tomato, onion, garlic, bay leaf and allspice. Simmer for about 15 minutes to flavour the broth.

  4. Add the fish, starting with the thickest, firmest pieces, and poach gently without stirring until just cooked, 10–15 minutes.

  5. Turn off the heat, put the parsley into the broth and leave the pan covered for a few minutes.

  6. For the sauce, pound the garlic with coarse salt and the parsley in a mortar to a paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the vinegar, wine and chilli paste, if using, loosening it with a little water or broth.

  7. Carefully lift the fish onto a platter, add the potatoes and spoon over some of the sauce.

  8. Strain the broth, arrange the bread slices in a tureen or bowls and pour the hot broth over them; anyone who prefers can drink it separately from a bowl. Serve the rest of the sauce on the side.

Tips

  • On Pico, cooks use local fish such as garoupa, boca-negra, cântaro, abrótea (forkbeard), bicuda (barracuda) or congro (conger eel). Elsewhere, choose the freshest firm white fish you can find, such as wreckfish, sea bream, rockfish or conger.
  • Use day-old homemade bread so it soaks up the broth without falling apart.
  • Some people stir a spoonful of the raw sauce or a splash of wine into each bowl of broth.
  • No vinho de cheiro? Use a young red or a dry white wine in the sauce.

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