Name: Salpicón de pescado — Guajira shredded-fish guiso
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 800 g fresh firm white fish, in thick pieces or steaks, checked for small bones; 1 L water, or enough to just cover the fish; 60 ml reserved poaching liquid; 30 ml neutral oil; 150 g white onion, finely chopped; 12 g garlic, finely chopped; 150 g ripe tomato, finely chopped; 40 g mild ají dulce or other mild fresh ají, finely chopped; 2 g ground achiote; 1 g ground cumin; 1 g black pepper; 15 ml vinegar; 45 ml fresh lime juice; 3 g fine salt; White rice, plantains or corn arepas, optional; Lime wedges, optional

A pan of flaked-fish guiso with white rice and fried plantain on a coastal table.

Region La Guajira, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast

Category Main course; cooked, shredded-fish guiso

Yield 4 servings

Prep time About 20 minutes

Active time About 25 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Salpicón de pescado — Guajira shredded-fish guiso

Gently cooked fish folded into tomato, onion, ají and citrus

In La Guajira, salpicón de pescado is a cooked, finely shredded fish dish mixed with a savory guiso. The name refers to the way the fish is cooked and combined with the sauce, not to a raw salad or ceviche. The Ministry of Culture’s regional cookbook describes several fish choices, fresh or dried, and seasons the guiso with onion, garlic, tomato, ají, lemon, vinegar and pepper. The national culinary inventory also lists cumin for this preparation, although the cookbook’s page 52 ingredient list does not. This measured home version includes a small amount of cumin to reflect that recorded variation.

This four-serving recipe uses fresh firm fish, such as róbalo or another mild white fish. The source also allows dried fish, but this version does not ask you to dry or preserve fish at home. Fresh fish keeps the seasoning simple and avoids the source’s separate desalting branch. The fish is poached, flaked after removing its skin and bones, then folded into a tomato-onion-ají guiso until the sauce clings to the pieces. A modest amount of achiote gives the vegetables a warm color; lime and vinegar provide a bright, balanced finish.

The finished mixture should be moist and cohesive, with visible flakes of fish and softened vegetables rather than a smooth paste or a pool of liquid. Serve it hot with white rice, plantains or corn arepas. These accompaniments are optional and are not included in the nutrition estimate.

Ingredients

Fish

800 g fresh firm white fish, in thick pieces or steaks, checked for small bones
1 L water, or enough to just cover the fish
60 ml reserved poaching liquid

Guiso

30 ml neutral oil
150 g white onion, finely chopped
12 g garlic, finely chopped
150 g ripe tomato, finely chopped
40 g mild ají dulce or other mild fresh ají, finely chopped
2 g ground achiote
1 g ground cumin
1 g black pepper
15 ml vinegar
45 ml fresh lime juice
3 g fine salt

To serve

White rice, plantains or corn arepas, optional
Lime wedges, optional

Method

Poach the fish safely Keep the fish refrigerated until cooking 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 become opaque and separate readily, but confirm doneness with a thermometer. Drain the fish, reserving 60 ml of the cooking liquid; discard the rest.
Cool and flake Let the fish rest only until it is safe to handle, no longer than 30 minutes at room temperature. Remove the skin and carefully check for bones. Separate the flesh into small flakes without mashing it. If you need to pause before the guiso is ready, cover and refrigerate the fish.
Start the guiso Warm the oil in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and mild ají and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring often, until softened and glossy. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Avoid browning the garlic, which can make the guiso bitter.
Cook the tomato base Add the tomato and achiote. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring and pressing the tomato lightly, until it collapses into a thick, moist sauce. The guiso should still look spoonable; do not let it scorch or dry against the pan.
Season the sauce Stir in the cumin, black pepper, vinegar, lime juice and salt. Let the guiso simmer for about 1 minute so the sharp aroma of the vinegar softens. Taste the sauce before adding the fish. This version uses fresh fish, so the measured salt is appropriate; dried fish would need a separate, carefully controlled desalting method and no added salt.
Fold in the fish Add the fish flakes and 60 ml reserved poaching liquid. Fold gently so the fish stays in pieces. Simmer for 5–7 minutes, turning carefully, until the fish is steaming hot throughout and the sauce clings to it. If the mixture looks dry before it is hot, add a spoonful of hot water; if liquid pools, simmer uncovered for another minute or two.
Serve and store Serve hot with white rice, plantains or corn arepas 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 left unrefrigerated for more than two hours, or more than one hour when the room is above 32°C / 90°F.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

These rounded estimates use a generic lean white-fish proxy and the measured vegetables, oil and salt. The exact fish species, edible yield and natural sodium vary; the figures are a broad guide rather than a product-specific analysis.

Practical guidance

Choose a firm fish: Róbalo, sábalo and bonito are among the fish named in the Guajira cookbook. A mild, firm white fish is easiest to flake and fold into the guiso. The source lists several choices rather than one required species. Keep the texture: Remove bones before flaking and fold the fish into the sauce rather than stirring vigorously. The fish should remain visible in small, tender pieces. Balance the citrus: Lime and vinegar should brighten the tomato guiso without making it sharply sour. Start with the measured quantities, taste the sauce, and add a small squeeze of lime only if needed. Allergens and safety: Contains finfish. Keep raw fish separate from ready-to-eat foods, wash hands and utensils, and cook the thickest portion to 63°C / 145°F. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and reheat to 74°C / 165°F.

Final notes

Remember 1: Poach fresh fish to 63°C / 145°F, then remove its skin and bones before flaking. Remember 2: Keep the guiso moist and fold the fish gently so it stays in pieces.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: One quarter of the fish guiso; rice, plantains and arepas excluded
Calories: About 260 kcal
Carbohydrate: About 9 g
Protein: About 36 g
Fat: About 9 g
Fibre: About 2 g
Sodium: About 470 mg

Salpicón de pescado — Guajira shredded-fish guiso

Ingredients

Fish

Guiso

To serve

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

Albóndigas de pescado — San Andrés fish balls

Gallina guisada — San Estanislao stewed hen

Viuda de pescado — bocachico and cassava with broth