Name: Bagre estopiao — Mompox salted catfish with eggs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 12 h 35 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 800 g commercially salted catfish, as purchased; use a product labeled for cooking; 3 large eggs; 8 g wheat flour; 100 g ripe tomato, finely diced; 60 g white onion, finely diced; 40 g scallion, thinly sliced; 40 g mild sweet ají, seeded and finely diced; 6 g garlic, minced; 10 ml neutral oil; 5 ml vinegar; 1 g ground cumin; 1 g black pepper; 3,000 ml cold water, for package-directed desalting and fresh cooking water as needed

A wide view of Mompox-style salted catfish and eggs with tomato and scallion guiso.

Region Santa Cruz de Mompox, Bolívar, Colombian Caribbean

Category Salted catfish and eggs

Yield 4 main-course servings

Preparation time About 20 minutes, plus refrigerated desalting as directed

Active time About 35 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Bagre estopiao — Mompox salted catfish with eggs

Flaked salted catfish warmed with Caribbean guiso and softly set eggs

In Santa Cruz de Mompox, Bolívar, bagre estopiao brings salted catfish together with guiso and beaten eggs. Colombia’s national inventory of traditional recipes records the dish in Mompox and describes the fish as flakes served with hogao and egg. A regional preparation is also documented in Carlos Ordóñez’s Gran Libro de la Cocina Colombiana. The defining texture is a mixture of moist fish flakes and tender cooked egg, not a fish stew.

The source recipe uses salted catfish, guiso, eggs and a little wheat flour. It blanches and steams the fish, then flakes it carefully to remove the bones before warming it with the guiso and stirring in the eggs. The original gives 8–10 portions but not modern metric quantities or a desalting schedule. This household adaptation measures four servings while keeping that sequence and the dish’s defining ingredients.

Salted catfish varies substantially by producer, cut and curing method. Buy a commercially prepared product labeled for cooking and follow its storage and desalting directions. If its directions call for soaking, keep the fish refrigerated at 4°C or colder; never desalinate it at room temperature. The 12-hour passive allowance below is a planning estimate, not a substitute for the package directions. Taste a cooked flake before seasoning the finished dish.

Ingredients

Fish and eggs

800 g commercially salted catfish, as purchased; use a product labeled for cooking
3 large eggs
8 g wheat flour

Guiso

100 g ripe tomato, finely diced
60 g white onion, finely diced
40 g scallion, thinly sliced
40 g mild sweet ají, seeded and finely diced
6 g garlic, minced
10 ml neutral oil
5 ml vinegar
1 g ground cumin
1 g black pepper
3,000 ml cold water, for package-directed desalting and fresh cooking water as needed

Method

Desalt the fish safely Buy 800 g of commercially prepared salted catfish labeled for cooking. Follow the package directions for refrigerated storage and desalting; if soaking is directed, allow about 720 minutes in the refrigerator at 4°C or colder. Change the water only as the package instructs. Do not use home-cured fish or leave fish soaking at room temperature. Desalting time depends on the cut and the producer, so package directions take precedence over the estimate here.
Prepare the vegetables Dice 100 g tomato, 60 g white onion and 40 g sweet ají. Slice 40 g scallion and mince 6 g garlic. Keep the vegetables separate from the raw fish and wash your hands and work surface after handling the fish package.
Cook the guiso Warm 10 ml neutral oil in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Add the tomato, onion, scallion, ají and garlic with 5 ml vinegar, 1 g cumin and 1 g black pepper. Cook gently for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and release their juices. The guiso should be moist and spoonable rather than browned or dry. Lower the heat if the garlic begins to darken.
Blanch and steam the fish Drain the fish after desalting. Bring fresh water to a boil, add the fish and blanch for 3 minutes, then drain. Set it over a small amount of fresh water in a covered steamer or pot and steam for about 15 minutes. Check the thickest section with a food thermometer; it must reach at least 63°C. The fish should separate into moist flakes. Add hot water to the steaming pot if needed, without letting the fish sit in the water.
Flake and debone Transfer the fish to a clean plate and let it cool only until it is safe to handle. Break it into bite-size flakes, working through the flesh slowly to remove every visible bone. Check the flakes a second time by hand. Keep the cooked fish away from utensils or surfaces that touched it raw.
Fold the fish into the eggs Return the guiso to low heat and fold in the fish. Beat 3 eggs with 8 g wheat flour until smooth, then pour the mixture evenly into the skillet. Stir gently and continuously so the eggs form soft curds around the flakes instead of a separate omelette. Cook until the egg is fully set and the mixture reaches 71°C throughout. Taste before adding any salt; the cured fish may already season the dish adequately.
Serve and store Serve hot while the egg remains tender and the fish moist. Offer rice or arepa separately if desired. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours and use within 3–4 days. Reheat until the center reaches 74°C; add a spoonful of water and stir gently if the mixture has become dry.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

These rounded values are estimates based on catfish, eggs, wheat flour and the measured vegetables. The sodium estimate is especially uncertain: curing strength, cut thickness and desalting can change it substantially. Check the product label for a more specific figure; actual values may be higher or lower.

Practical guidance

Let the package determine desalting. Cured fish can differ in thickness and salt concentration. Follow the maker’s storage and soaking directions, keep any soak refrigerated at 4°C or colder, and taste a cooked flake before deciding whether it needs more time. Do not guess by tasting raw fish, and do not add salt to the guiso before the finished mixture is tasted. Keep the guiso moist. The tomato and onion mixture should coat the fish, not turn into a dry fry. Gentle heat lets the vegetables soften without scorching the garlic. If the pan looks dry before the fish is added, stir in a small spoonful of water. Check for bones twice. Flaking exposes bones that may be hard to see in the whole piece. Remove visible bones as you work, then feel through the flakes again before adding the eggs. Serve carefully, especially to children or anyone who may have difficulty detecting small bones. Allergens and food safety. This recipe contains fish, eggs and wheat (gluten). Prevent cross-contact for anyone with an allergy. Keep the salted fish refrigerated during any desalting, cook the thickest part to 63°C and the egg mixture to 71°C. Chill leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 74°C.

Final notes

Remember 1: Follow the salted fish package directions and keep any soaking fish refrigerated. Remember 2: Remove bones carefully and cook the egg mixture until it reaches 71°C throughout.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: One quarter of the prepared recipe
Calories: About 390 kcal
Carbohydrate: About 8 g
Protein: About 43 g
Fat: About 20 g
Fibre: About 2 g
Sodium: About 1,800 mg

Bagre estopiao — Mompox salted catfish with eggs

Ingredients

Fish and eggs

Guiso

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

Bocachicos rellenos asados al carbón — Mompox charcoal-grilled stuffed fish

Pebre de gallina — Mompox-style hen stew

Viuda de bagre salao — Mompox Salted Catfish with Yuca and Plantain