Name: Pescado con Cohombros — Buenaventura Fish and Cucumber Appetizer
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 3 h 40 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 1500 g thin, boneless white-fish fillets, thawed in the refrigerator if frozen; 1,000 g pepino cohombro (cucumber), peeled and cut into thin ribbons; 5 g fine salt, for the cucumber; 240 ml food-grade clear vinegar with 5% acidity; 120 ml olive oil; 60 ml fresh lemon juice; 70 g capers, drained; 3 g ground thyme; 4 g cilantro, finely chopped; 12 g sugar; 2 g fine salt; 1 g ground black pepper; 80 g lettuce leaves

Wide glass platter of Buenaventura fish and cucumber appetizer with lemon and lettuce.

Region Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, Colombian Pacific coast

Category Chilled layered fish-and-cucumber appetizer

Yield 8 appetizer servings

Preparation time 30 minutes

Active time 45 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Pescado con Cohombros — Buenaventura Fish and Cucumber Appetizer

Layer gently poached fish, salted cucumber ribbons and capers in a bright lemon-herb vinaigrette, then serve the chilled Buenaventura appetizer on lettuce.

On the Pacific coast of Valle del Cauca, the Buenaventura preparation called pescado con cohombros brings together thin fish fillets, cucumber, capers and a sharp herb vinaigrette. The Colombian cookbook that records it serves the dish as an appetizer. “Cohombro” here means cucumber, also called pepino cohombro; it is not sea cucumber.

This measured version serves eight. It keeps the source’s layered presentation and main ingredients, while specifying 5%-acidity food-grade vinegar and olive oil so the dressing can be repeated. The original does not name a fish species, so choose a firm, boneless white-fish fillet that poaches without falling apart.

The published method gives a short three-minute simmer, but fish thickness and starting temperature vary. Treat that time as a cue to begin checking, and use a food thermometer to bring the thickest piece to 62.8°C. Salt and drain the cucumber in the refrigerator, then chill the assembled dish for two hours. The citrus and vinegar add flavor; they do not preserve the fish.

Ingredients

Fish and cucumber

1500 g thin, boneless white-fish fillets, thawed in the refrigerator if frozen
1,000 g pepino cohombro (cucumber), peeled and cut into thin ribbons
5 g fine salt, for the cucumber

Vinaigrette and serving

240 ml food-grade clear vinegar with 5% acidity
120 ml olive oil
60 ml fresh lemon juice
70 g capers, drained
3 g ground thyme
4 g cilantro, finely chopped
12 g sugar
2 g fine salt
1 g ground black pepper
80 g lettuce leaves

Method

Salt and drain the cucumber Wash and peel the cucumbers, then slice them lengthwise into thin ribbons with a sharp knife or mandoline. Put them in a covered container, sprinkle with 5 g salt, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Drain, rinse briefly with cold water and pat thoroughly dry; excess water would dilute the dressing.
Poach the fish safely Bring a wide pan of water to a gentle boil. Add the thin fish fillets and simmer for about 3 minutes, turning once if needed. Start checking the thickest piece with a clean food thermometer; continue cooking until it reaches 62.8°C. Transfer the fish with clean utensils to a shallow covered dish and refrigerate until cold. Keep raw-fish utensils and surfaces separate, then wash them and your hands.
Layer the cold ingredients Break the chilled fish into large flakes or keep the fillets whole if they are delicate. In a clean glass serving dish, alternate fish and cucumber ribbons, scattering drained capers between the layers. Keep the layers loose enough for the dressing to flow through.
Mix and pour the vinaigrette Whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, sugar, thyme, cilantro, pepper and remaining 2 g salt until combined. Pour evenly over the fish and cucumber. Cover the dish and refrigerate for 2 hours so the flavors mingle; do not leave it at room temperature.
Serve and store Arrange lettuce on a chilled platter and lift the fish-and-cucumber layers onto it. Serve cold, keeping the dish chilled while it is on the table. Discard perishable food left out for more than 2 hours. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a covered shallow container at or below 4°C and use within 3–4 days.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

One-eighth of the prepared appetizer: about 310 kcal, 5 g carbohydrates, 36 g protein, 16 g fat, 2 g fibre and 650 mg sodium. These rounded estimates use Colombian composition data for raw merluza as a proxy for the unspecified white fish and pepino cohombro values for cucumber. Caper brine, fish choice, cucumber rinsing and salt left after draining affect the result; this is an estimate, not a laboratory analysis.

Practical guidance

Slice evenly. Similar cucumber ribbons salt at the same rate and make the layers easier to portion. A mandoline is useful, but use its guard and keep fingers clear. Choose a fillet that holds together. The historic recipe names fillets but not a species. A firm white fish is a practical choice; thaw frozen fish in the refrigerator and blot it before poaching. Keep the marinade cold. The two-hour rest is for flavor, not preservation. Refrigeration remains essential even though the dressing contains lemon and vinegar. Taste the capers before seasoning. Caper brine can contribute considerable salt. The recipe includes 7 g salt in total, with most used to draw water from the cucumber; rinse and drain as directed.

Final notes

1: Cook the fish to 62.8°C and cool it in the refrigerator before layering. 2: Keep the finished dish cold; lemon and vinegar do not make fish shelf-stable.

Allergens and food safety

Contains finfish. Keep raw fish separate from ready-to-eat food and wash hands, utensils and surfaces after handling it. Keep the fish, cucumber and marinade refrigerated at or below 4°C. Discard perishable food left at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and use within 3–4 days.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: One-eighth of the prepared dish
Calories: 310 kcal
Carbohydrates: 5 g
Protein: 36 g
Fat: 16 g
Fibre: 2 g
Sodium: 650 mg

Pescado con Cohombros — Buenaventura Fish and Cucumber Appetizer

Ingredients

Fish and cucumber

Vinaigrette and serving

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Practical guidance

Final notes

Allergens and food safety

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

Pescado Encurtido — Buenaventura Marinated Fish

Carne asada en tiesto — Antioquia clay-griddled steak

Cocido de pulpa de uitillo (monob) — Colombian Amazonian fruit stew