Salpicón de pescado-cachúa — Guajira flaked-fish guiso

Poach the fish safely Keep the fish refrigerated until you are ready to cook, and use a separate board and utensils for raw fish. Bring the water to a gentle simmer in a covered pot. Add the fish and poach gently until the thickest part reaches 63°C / 145°F, usually 8–12 minutes depending on thickness. The flesh should turn opaque and separate readily, but use the thermometer to confirm doneness. Drain and discard the poaching liquid. Let the fish cool only until it is safe to handle, for no more than 30 minutes at room temperature.

Flake and season Remove the skin and check carefully for bones. Break the fish into medium flakes rather than mashing it. Toss gently with 30 ml vinegar and the black pepper. If the vegetables are not ready, cover and refrigerate the fish; do not leave it at room temperature for more than two hours in total.

Make the achiote oil Warm the neutral oil and achiote seeds in a small saucepan over low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the oil is orange and fragrant. Do not let the seeds darken or burn, which makes the oil bitter. Strain out the seeds and transfer the colored oil to a wide skillet or heavy pot.

Prepare the two vegetable textures Set aside roughly one third of the scallions, onion, bell pepper, ají dulce, garlic and cilantro. Blend the rest with 30 ml vinegar and 30 ml water to make a coarse, spoonable mixture; scrape down the blender once if needed. Keep the reserved vegetables chopped so they retain some texture in the finished sauce.

Cook the sauce Heat the achiote oil over medium-low heat. Add the reserved chopped vegetables and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until softened and glossy but not browned. Stir in the blended vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the steak sauce, salsa negra and remaining 30 ml vinegar; cook for 2 minutes so the flavors combine.

Fold in mayonnaise and fish Lower the heat. Stir in the mayonnaise until the sauce looks cohesive. Add the flaked fish and turn gently to coat without breaking it into a paste. Simmer for 5–7 minutes, stirring from the edges, until the fish is steaming hot throughout. Taste, then add salt a little at a time; the bottled sauces may already make the guiso salty enough.

Serve and store Serve hot, with corn arepas or rice if desired. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within two hours, and use within 3–4 days. Reheat to 74°C / 165°F throughout. Discard fish that has been left unrefrigerated longer than two hours, or one hour when the room is above 32°C / 90°F.