Rougaille of Salted Rabbit Fish, or Rougay Kordonnyen Sale, is one of the classic Seychellois dishes that everyone on the islands love. It is essentially a tomato-based dish, with incredibly rich flavours thanks to the combination of herbs and spices used.
- 2 salted rabbit fish
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 4 ripe tomatoes chopped
- 1 clove of garlic crushed
- 1 tsp crushed ginger
- 1 chilli, crushed
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- oil to shallow-fry
- 200 ml water
- 2 litre water, to boil fish
- Salt and cracked pepper
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Soak fish and the frames in cold water for about two hours to dilute the salt content from and to rehydrate the fish. Place in a colander and give a quick wash under running water and allow to drain.
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In a medium pot add about 2 litres of water and boil fish for about 10 minutes. Remove from hot water and allow to cool.
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Once cooled, pat dry and cut fish into bite size portions. Remember to cut the frames as well.
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Heat some vegetable oil in a frying pan, about 1 cm deep, over high heat until very hot. Quick fry the fish pieces and distribute as many pieces as will fit one layer only. Fry for about one minute on both sides. The idea here is to give some colour to the fish and to add that extra dimension to the flavour. Do not fry for too long as you fish will become tough.
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Remove fish and keep warm.
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Leave about three tablespoons oil in the same pan and sweat off onion and add chopped tomato.
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Add the tomato purée, thyme, garlic and ginger and cracked pepper. Stir for a minute or so.
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Add the fish and moisten with 200ml water.
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Cook on moist , slow heat with lid on pot for about 20 minutes
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Season and serve with boiled rice.
Some cooks omit the quick fry step.You may also choose to eliminate this process, but you will end up with pale looking fish. The idea here is to give some colour to the fish and to add that extra dimension to the flavour. Do not fry for too long as you fish will become tough. This process is locally called ‘pas dan delwil’ meaning to dip in hot oil.
The traditional way of cooking this dish is to leave the bones on. This however makes eating the dish quite a difficult experience to the uninitiated except. It is worth noting , however, that the tail end of the fillets have no bones.
You may also attempt to remove the bones. This will be very arduous and you may end up breaking the fish into very small pieces.