Overview
Viudo clásico: Tolima River Fish and Root Stew
Make Tolima viudo clásico with river fish, yuca, green plantain, corn, tomato-onion hogao and broth served on the side
Colombian National Dishes
Viudo clásico: Tolima River Fish and Root Stew
Make Tolima viudo clásico with river fish, yuca, green plantain, corn, tomato-onion hogao and broth served on the side
Colombian National Dishes
Ingredients
Ingredients
Fish and vegetables
- 900 g cleaned, bone-in river fish, such as bocachico, capaz, bagre or nicuro, cut into 4 portions
- 225 g peeled yuca, cut into large chunks
- 1 medium green plantain, peeled and broken into large pieces (about 250 g peeled)
- 4 small potatoes, peeled and left whole (about 600 g)
- 115 g peeled arracacha, cut into chunks
- 2 ears of corn, each cut in half
- 1 L drinking water
Guiso and seasoning
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
- 5 stalks long green onion, about 100 g, divided
- 2 ripe tomatoes, about 240 g, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1 sprig fresh cilantro
- 30 ml neutral cooking oil (2 tablespoons)
- 2 g ground cumin
- 1 pinch achiote or annatto, about 0.5 g
- 6 g fine salt total, or to taste
- 1 g black pepper, or to taste
- 2 lemons, juiced
Method
Method
Method
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Season the fish and prepare the vegetables Keep the fish chilled at or below 4°C until you are ready to cook. Pat it dry and check for any remaining scales. Season the 4 portions with the lemon juice, cumin, achiote, black pepper and part of the measured salt. Set aside while the vegetables begin to cook. Keep the fish and its juices separate from ready-to-eat foods, and wash your hands and utensils after handling it.
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Simmer the roots, plantain and corn Bring 1 L drinking water to a boil in a large covered pot. Add the yuca, green plantain, potatoes, arracacha, corn and one piece of green onion. Reduce to a steady simmer. Keep the pieces large so they hold their shape; cook until the corn and plantain are tender and the roots are nearly cooked through.
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Make the tomato-onion guiso While the vegetables simmer, heat the oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped tomatoes, the remaining green onion, garlic, cilantro, achiote, and some of the measured salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes soften into a thick, spoonable guiso. Taste and adjust with the remaining measured seasoning.
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Cook the fish gently in the broth When the corn and plantain are tender, lower the fish portions into the pot. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes without a hard boil, which can break up the fish. Check the thickest portion with a food thermometer: it should reach 63°C and turn opaque and flaky. If it has not reached that temperature, continue cooking briefly and check again.
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Arrange the platter and serve the broth Lift the fish and vegetables out carefully, keeping the pieces intact. Arrange 1 fish portion and a share of each vegetable on each plate or on one large platter. Spoon the hot guiso over the top. Ladle the cooking broth into cups and serve alongside. Watch for small bones, especially with bocachico. Serve hot.
Practical guidance
Practical
Nutrition per serving
These are high-uncertainty, ingredient-based estimates. Fish species and bone-in yield, the size of the potatoes and plantain, the amount of guiso eaten and salt retention can all change the values.
Viudo clásico
A generous Tolima platter of river fish, yuca, green plantain, potatoes, arracacha and corn, served with tomato-onion hogao and a cup of broth. Viudo clásico, also called viudo de pescado in Tolima, is a river fish meal built around a simple idea: cook the roots and plantain in a lightly seasoned broth, add the fish near the end, and serve the broth alongside the platter. The vegetables stay in large pieces, the fish remains tender, and a quick tomato and scallion guiso brings everything together. This pot-cooked version follows a four-serving Tolima recipe documented by Colombia’s Ministry of Culture. It is distinct from viudo enterrado, a separate preparation cooked in a clay vessel or underground. River fish such as bocachico, capaz, bagre or nicuro suits the regional style; choose a fresh, firm fish and take care with its bones at the table. Serve the fish and vegetables on a large platter, spoon the hogao over them, and ladle the cooking broth into cups. Some Honda presentations include plain rice, but it is not part of this recipe’s ingredient list. A squeeze of lemon at the table is welcome if you like a brighter finish.
Practical guidance
Choose and store the fish safely: Buy fish from a recognized, authorized seller. It should be kept chilled or on clean ice, smell mild, and have firm flesh and clear, bright eyes. Keep it refrigerated until cooking and separate it from cooked food and fresh produce. Keep the vegetables intact: Cut the yuca and arracacha into generous chunks and use small potatoes whole. The source method starts the roots, plantain and corn together; check the larger pieces for tenderness before adding the fish. Avoid a vigorous boil once the fish is in the pot. Make the broth part of the meal: The cooking liquid carries flavor from the vegetables and fish. Serve it in cups rather than draining it away. If the broth needs more seasoning, adjust it after the fish is cooked. Check doneness and handle leftovers: Use a thermometer in the thickest fish portion and cook to 63°C. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers and reheat once to at least 74°C throughout. Serve carefully because river fish can contain fine bones.
Allergens and food safety
Contains finfish. This dish is not suitable for people with a fish allergy. River fish may contain small bones, so serve and eat carefully. Keep raw fish chilled and separate from ready-to-eat food; wash hands, boards and utensils after handling it. Cook the thickest portion to 63°C. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat once to 74°C throughout.
Final notes
Remember 1: Add the fish only after the corn and plantain are tender, then keep the broth at a gentle simmer. Remember 2: Serve the hogao over the fish and vegetables, with the flavorful broth in cups beside the platter.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition per serving
- Serving basis: 1/4 of the fish, vegetables, guiso and broth
- Calories: 560 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 88 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Fat: 10 g
- Fibre: 10 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
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