Name: Preparación del pescado de Orocué: grilled fish with guiso and casabe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 600 g firm, boneless fish fillets from a legally sold, responsibly sourced, non-threatened species, cut into four portions about 2.5 cm thick; 15 ml neutral cooking oil, for brushing; 4 g fine salt; 0.5 g ground black pepper, optional; 30 ml neutral cooking oil, or another suitable cooking fat; 100 g long scallion, finely chopped; 120 g green bell pepper, finely chopped; 6 g garlic, about 2 cloves, crushed; 1 g ground achiote or onoto, about ½ teaspoon; 2 culinary-grade cilantro cimarrón leaves, washed and finely chopped; 0.5 g ground cumin, about ¼ teaspoon; 0.5 g ground black pepper, about ¼ teaspoon; 2 g fine salt, or to taste; 160 g commercial cassava casabe, divided into four portions

Preparación del pescado de Orocué: grilled fish with guiso and casabe

Region Orocué, Casanare, in Colombia’s Orinoquía

Category Grilled fish main course

Yield 4 servings

Prep time 15 minutes

Active time About 15 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Preparación del pescado de Orocué: grilled fish with guiso and casabe

Firm fish cooked over a hot grill, finished with a Llanos-style scallion and green-pepper guiso, and served with crisp cassava casabe.

Orocué sits in Casanare, in Colombia’s broad Orinoquía region, where river and savanna foodways meet. A local preparation of fish is described in two ways: grilled over a grate or cooked in a clay vessel. In either case, the meal is served with casabe and guiso. This version follows the grilling method and gives it practical quantities for a home kitchen.

The fish itself is deliberately left flexible. The documented Orocué preparation does not name a species, and river fish availability varies by season and place. Choose a legally sold, responsibly sourced, non-threatened fish with firm flesh, and ask the fish seller to remove the bones. This keeps the recipe useful without implying that every fish or household in Orocué uses the same catch.

The guiso is based on a Llanos preparation published by Colombia’s Ministry of Culture: long scallion, green pepper, garlic, onoto or achiote, cilantro cimarrón, oil or fat, cumin, pepper and salt, cooked until soft. It is a regional reference for the sauce in this measured home adaptation, not a claim that it is the only guiso served with Orocué fish. The result is savory and gently aromatic, with no need for a heavy marinade that would hide the flavor of the fish.

Casabe is a crisp cassava flatbread. Use a packaged food-grade version, warm it briefly if you like, and bring it to the table as an accompaniment for the fish and soft guiso. The alternative clay-vessel method remains a distinct way of cooking this dish; the instructions here do not combine it with grilling.

Ingredients

Grilled fish

600 g firm, boneless fish fillets from a legally sold, responsibly sourced, non-threatened species, cut into four portions about 2.5 cm thick
15 ml neutral cooking oil, for brushing
4 g fine salt
0.5 g ground black pepper, optional

Llanos-style guiso

30 ml neutral cooking oil, or another suitable cooking fat
100 g long scallion, finely chopped
120 g green bell pepper, finely chopped
6 g garlic, about 2 cloves, crushed
1 g ground achiote or onoto, about ½ teaspoon
2 culinary-grade cilantro cimarrón leaves, washed and finely chopped
0.5 g ground cumin, about ¼ teaspoon
0.5 g ground black pepper, about ¼ teaspoon
2 g fine salt, or to taste

To serve

160 g commercial cassava casabe, divided into four portions

Method

Set up safely Keep the fish refrigerated while you prepare the guiso. Wash your hands, clear the work surface, and use a separate board and utensils for raw fish. Keep the casabe and serving plates away from raw fish and its juices. Pat the fish dry just before grilling; a dry surface browns more evenly.
Soften the guiso vegetables Warm the oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the scallion, green pepper, garlic and achiote. Stir to coat, then cook gently for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft and glossy. Lower the heat if the garlic starts to brown; the guiso should taste mellow rather than toasted or bitter.
Finish the guiso Stir in the chopped cilantro cimarrón, cumin, pepper and salt. Cook for another 3–5 minutes, stirring, until the herbs are fragrant and the mixture forms a soft, spoonable sauce. Taste and adjust the salt. Cover loosely and keep warm while you grill the fish. If the guiso becomes too dry, add a teaspoon of water rather than more oil.
Heat and oil the grill Preheat a clean grill to medium-high heat. Scrape the grate clean, then oil it lightly with a folded paper towel held in tongs. Season the fish with the measured salt and optional pepper, and brush both sides with the remaining oil. Avoid sugary marinades, which can scorch before the fish cooks through.
Grill the fish Lay the portions across the grate and leave them undisturbed until the underside is browned and the fish releases with gentle pressure, usually 3–5 minutes for fillets about 2.5 cm thick. Turn once with a thin, wide spatula and cook the second side until the center reaches 63°C / 145°F. The exact time depends on thickness and grill heat; check the thickest part with a food thermometer. The flesh should also be opaque and separate into moist flakes.
Warm the casabe and serve Warm the casabe briefly on the edge of the grill or in a dry skillet, just until fragrant and crisp. Do not leave thin pieces unattended because they can burn quickly. Transfer the cooked fish to a clean platter, spoon the warm guiso over it or serve the guiso alongside, and bring the casabe to the table.
Store any leftovers promptly Do not leave cooked fish at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers, separate from the casabe, and use within 3–4 days. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat to 74°C / 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Discard fish that has been left out too long or has an unusual sour, rancid or ammonia-like odor.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

These are rounded recipe-based estimates, not laboratory analysis. Fish species, the amount of salt retained and the brand of casabe can change the values. Use the package nutrition label for the casabe you buy; the calculation uses a generic cassava flatbread profile.

Practical guidance

Choose the fish by texture and source: The Orocué preparation is recorded simply as fish, without naming a species. A firm, boneless fillet is easiest to grill at home. Buy it from a reputable seller, ask where it was caught or raised, and avoid fish that are protected, threatened, undersized or sold outside legal channels. If the species is unfamiliar, do not assume it is safe or sustainable just because it is locally available. Keep the fillets a consistent thickness: Portions around 2.5 cm thick cook at a more predictable rate. If one end is much thinner, fold the thin tail under itself or move that part to a cooler area of the grill once it is browned. Use the thermometer reading in the thickest part as the safety check; color alone is not a reliable substitute. Let the grate do the work: Fish sticks when the grate is dirty, insufficiently hot or the fish is turned too early. Preheat and clean the grate, oil it lightly, and wait until the fish releases before turning. If a portion begins to break, slide a wide spatula underneath and support it with tongs rather than forcing it free. Treat the guiso as a soft accompaniment: This Llanos-style guiso should be tender and spoonable, not browned into a dry relish. Gentle heat gives the scallion and green pepper time to soften while keeping the achiote and herbs aromatic. If cilantro cimarrón is not available, do not describe another herb as identical; use a modest amount of familiar culinary cilantro only as a clearly stated flavor variation. Serve casabe crisp: Keep casabe dry until serving. If it has softened in its package, warm it in a dry skillet or at the edge of the grill for a short time. It can be broken into pieces for scooping up the guiso, but do not soak it in advance or it will lose its characteristic crispness. Handle raw fish carefully: Keep it chilled until cooking, wash hands after handling it, and clean the board, knife and counter with hot soapy water. Never place cooked fish back on a plate that held raw fish. Cook fish to 63°C / 145°F at the thickest point; the visual cue of opaque flesh that flakes easily is useful, but a thermometer gives a more dependable check. Plan for leftovers: Cool and refrigerate cooked fish within 2 hours, using shallow containers so it chills quickly. Store the fish and casabe separately; the casabe stays crisp when kept dry. Reheat fish only once if possible, to 74°C / 165°F throughout, checked with a food thermometer; discard anything with an off odor or uncertain storage history. Allergens: Fish. Check the casabe package for additional ingredients and cross-contact statements. Food safety: Keep raw fish cold and separate from ready-to-eat foods. Cook to 63°C / 145°F in the thickest part, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat them to 74°C / 165°F.

Final notes

Remember 1: This measured home version follows the grilled option documented for Orocué and keeps the clay-vessel method separate. Remember 2: Serve the fish with casabe and a soft Llanos-style guiso; select fish that is legal, responsibly sourced and safe to eat.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: One quarter of the fish, guiso and casabe recipe
Calories: 400 kcal
Carbohydrate: 32 g
Protein: 36 g
Fat: 11 g
Fibre: 3 g
Sodium: 1200 mg

Preparación del pescado de Orocué: grilled fish with guiso and casabe

Ingredients

Grilled fish

Llanos-style guiso

To serve

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

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Sopa de arroz con gallina — Colombian rice soup with stewing hen

Cuy — Nariño whole grilled guinea pig