Caldo de peixe du port de Mindelo (Mindelo harbor fish broth)
A fragrant broth where fresh fish steaks, cassava, sweet potato, and a squeeze of lime gently poach. Light, marine, comforting — the fresh counterpoint to heavy cachupa.
A fragrant broth where fresh fish steaks, cassava, sweet potato, and a squeeze of lime gently poach. Light, marine, comforting — the fresh counterpoint to heavy cachupa.
Fish, here, we buy it when the boats come in, the scales still shining with sea. I make a very simple broth — an onion, a little cassava, and the fish goes in at the very end, otherwise it falls apart, poor thing. A squeeze of lime just before serving, and that's it. No need to overdo it, my girl: when the fish is this fresh, it's the sea itself that seasons it.
- •Poisson frais du port (thazard, mérou, garoupa) — en darnes (élément central)
- •Manioc et patate douce — quelques morceaux (féculents du bouillon)
- •Oignon, tomate, ail — ce qu'il faut (fond du caldo)
- •Citron vert — un (acidité finale)
- •Coriandre fraîche — une poignée (herbe aromatique)
Caldo de peixe du port de Mindelo (Mindelo harbor fish broth)
A fragrant broth where fresh fish steaks, cassava, sweet potato, and a squeeze of lime gently poach. Light, marine, comforting — the fresh counterpoint to heavy cachupa.
Why this dish? Mindelo, Cesária's hometown, is a fishing port: fresh fish landed in the morning feeds the city. Caldo de peixe, a clear broth of fish and root vegetables, was the simple, briny meal of seaside families like hers.
Fish, here, we buy it when the boats come in, the scales still shining with sea. I make a very simple broth — an onion, a little cassava, and the fish goes in at the very end, otherwise it falls apart, poor thing. A squeeze of lime just before serving, and that's it. No need to overdo it, my girl: when the fish is this fresh, it's the sea itself that seasons it.
Ingredients (period version)
- Poisson frais du port (thazard, mérou, garoupa) — en darnes (élément central)
- Manioc et patate douce — quelques morceaux (féculents du bouillon)
- Oignon, tomate, ail — ce qu'il faut (fond du caldo)
- Citron vert — un (acidité finale)
- Coriandre fraîche — une poignée (herbe aromatique)
Ingredients
- Darnes de poisson ferme (lieu, merlu, mérou) — 600 g (élément central)
- Manioc — 300 g (féculent)
- Patate douce — 1 (féculent doux)
- Oignon + 2 tomates + 2 gousses d'ail — le tout (fond aromatique)
- Citron vert — 1 (acidité)
- Coriandre, sel, poivre, huile d'olive — au goût (assaisonnement)
Method
- Sauté the onion, garlic, and crushed tomato in a little oil.
- Add water, salt, then cassava and sweet potato in large chunks; cook for 20 minutes until tender.
- Place the fish steaks in the simmering broth and poach for 8 to 10 minutes without boiling hard.
- Remove from heat, add chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
- Serve the fish and vegetables with their broth in deep bowls.
How it was made : In Cape Verdean ports, caldo de peixe was made with the day's catch, without a fixed recipe: the fish is poached at the end so it doesn't break apart. Tomato, integrated later after Atlantic exchanges, became common in the 20th century.
The contemporary twist : Serve the broth separately in a small glass and plate the fish — a 'refined' version of the fisherman's broth.
Cesária Évora · Charactorium