Ecuadorian · soup

Encebollado de Albacora

Encebollado de Albacora reads citrus 5.5, sourness 5.2 and richness 3.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Ecuadorian soup, about 1 hr 37 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 3.9 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.9 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 7.0 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.5 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 3.9 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 5.5 · Sourness 5.2 · Richness 3.8 · Salinity 3.7 · Herbaceous 3.6 · Sweetness 2.5 · Earthy 2.4 · Warm Spice 2.0 · Allium 2.0 · Umami 2.0 · Fruity 1.6 · Floral 1.1 · Bitterness 1.1 · Nutty 0.6

What's in it (15)

• albacore tuna — 1000 g
• yuca — 900 g
• red onions — 320 g
• roma tomatoes — 400 g
• cumin — 10 g
• achiote powder — 15 g
• green bell pepper — 150 g
• cilantro — 40 g
• limes — 360 g
• water — 2000 g
• oil — 41 g
• dried leaf oregano — 1 g
• salt — 10 g
• chifles — 200 g
• canguil — 100 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 37 min (1 hr 5 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 14.1 kcal, 0.2 g protein, 0.8 g fat, 1.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. Encebollado is what Guayaquil eats on a Sunday morning, and it is understood locally to be the cure for the night before. It is a fish and yuca soup, thin and sharp, with a raw onion salad tipped into it at the table and crisps crumbled on top.
2. Make the curtido first so it has time to soften: slice the red onion paper-thin against the grain, rinse it under cold water for a minute, then toss it with half the lime juice, the diced tomato, half the cilantro leaves, the oregano and a pinch of salt. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
3. Simmer the water with the quartered onion and tomato, the bell pepper, cilantro stems, cumin, achiote and salt for 15 minutes, then lower in the tuna and poach it very gently for 12 to 15 minutes, until it flakes but is still moist. Overcooked tuna goes dry and chalky and no amount of broth will bring it back.
4. Lift the fish out and flake it into large pieces, discarding skin and any bloodline. Strain the broth, pressing the vegetables to get the liquid out, and return it to the pan.
5. Cook the yuca in the strained broth for 25 to 30 minutes until it is soft and splits along the grain when pressed. Pull out the woody central fibre from each piece as you find it. Cassava must be fully cooked — this is not a vegetable to leave with a bite.
6. Warm the oil, stir in the remaining achiote for 30 seconds until the oil is orange, and add it to the broth for colour and body. Return the fish to warm through for 3 minutes and add the rest of the lime juice off the heat.
7. Serve very hot in deep bowls, with a heaped spoon of the onion curtido on top, the remaining cilantro, and chifles and canguil in bowls on the table to be added by the handful. The soup is meant to be finished with the crisps still crunchy, so add them as you go.
8. Substitutions: bonito steaks can stand in for the albacore tuna.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Quinoa Salad With Black Beans And Avocado — Latin American
• Tabbouleh — Lebanese
• Fattoush — Lebanese
• Boston Lettuce Avocado Salad and Lime Dressing — American
• Moroccan Carrot Salad — Moroccan

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →

Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.