flipRaw Fish in Coconut Milk, Inspired by Bora Bora Shore Stops
Raw Fish in Coconut Milk, Inspired by Bora Bora Shore Stops
Why this dish? Gerbault fell in love with Polynesia and stayed there long, especially on Bora Bora. After weeks of canned food, fresh fish marinated in lime and coconut milk was for him the very taste of paradise, which he became the bard of.
Inspired by Polynesian raw fish: very fresh fish cubes 'cooked' by lime juice, then drenched in coconut milk. Fresh, tangy, creamy — the exact opposite of the shipboard dryness.
Imagine what it is, after weeks of tin cans and tepid water, to bite into a fish pulled from the sea that very moment. In the islands, they brought it to me cut into dice, bathed in lime, and poured over it that fresh coconut milk pressed by hand that softens everything. I ate it with my feet in the sand, and I told myself that civilization, with its tins and its clocks, had forgotten what it means to live.
- •Very fresh reef fish (tuna, bonito) — one nice piece (base)
- •Limes — a few (acid marinade)
- •Ripe coconut — one (coconut milk)
- •Sea salt — a pinch (seasoning)
- •Island cucumber — if available (freshness)
Raw Fish in Coconut Milk, Inspired by Bora Bora Shore Stops
Inspired by Polynesian raw fish: very fresh fish cubes 'cooked' by lime juice, then drenched in coconut milk. Fresh, tangy, creamy — the exact opposite of the shipboard dryness.
Why this dish? Gerbault fell in love with Polynesia and stayed there long, especially on Bora Bora. After weeks of canned food, fresh fish marinated in lime and coconut milk was for him the very taste of paradise, which he became the bard of.
Imagine what it is, after weeks of tin cans and tepid water, to bite into a fish pulled from the sea that very moment. In the islands, they brought it to me cut into dice, bathed in lime, and poured over it that fresh coconut milk pressed by hand that softens everything. I ate it with my feet in the sand, and I told myself that civilization, with its tins and its clocks, had forgotten what it means to live.
Ingredients (period version)
- Very fresh reef fish (tuna, bonito) — one nice piece (base)
- Limes — a few (acid marinade)
- Ripe coconut — one (coconut milk)
- Sea salt — a pinch (seasoning)
- Island cucumber — if available (freshness)
Ingredients
- Extra-fresh tuna or sea bream (sashimi grade) — 400 g (base)
- Limes — 4 to 5 (acid marinade)
- Coconut milk — 200 ml (creamy binder)
- Cucumber — 1/2 (freshness)
- Spring onion — 1 (aromatic)
- Salt — 1/2 teaspoon (seasoning)
Method
- Cut the fish into 2 cm cubes.
- Squeeze the limes and pour the juice over the fish; salt and marinate 10 to 15 minutes: the flesh whitens and firms up.
- Drain off some of the lime juice so it's not too acidic.
- Add diced cucumber and sliced spring onion.
- Generously coat with coconut milk, mix gently and serve immediately, well chilled.
How it was made : Raw fish marinated in lime and coconut milk is a living classic of Polynesian cuisine, prepared with just-caught fish and milk pressed from grated coconut. It is presented here with respect, 'inspired by', without claiming to reproduce a specific family recipe.
The contemporary twist : Serve in a hollowed-out half coconut, with grated lime zest on top: the plate tells the story of the landfall.
Sources : Alain Gerbault, Un paradis se meurt, 1949 (posthume)
Alain Gerbault · Charactorium
