Kokoda

Kokoda (Fijian Ceviche)

Kokoda is Fiji's national dish: cubes of raw white fish cured in lime juice, then gently folded through rich coconut cream with tomato, onion, chilli and cucumber. It is light, tangy and very fresh, and is traditionally served as a starter or light lunch with cassava or taro.

Prep

30 min

Total

30 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •600 g (1 lb 5 oz) skinless white fish fillet, firm-fleshed such as snapper, wahoo, mahi-mahi or sea bass
• •180 ml (¾ cup) fresh lime juice, about 6–8 limes; freshly squeezed
• •250 ml (1 cup) coconut cream, thick, refrigerated for at least 1 hour so the cream rises to the top
• •1 medium tomato, ripe but firm
• •1 small red onion, or ½ medium
• •1 small Lebanese cucumber, or ¼ English cucumber
• •1 clove garlic, optional
• •1–2 small red bird's eye chillies, Fiji-style is moderately hot; seeds removed for milder
• •15 g (¼ cup) fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• •1 tsp fine sea salt, plus extra to taste
• •1 pinch cracked black pepper

Steps

1. 1 Sushi-grade freezing step (required): if your fish is not labelled sushi/sashimi grade, freeze the fillet at -20°C / -4°F for 7 full days, or at -35°C / -31°F for 15 hours, then thaw in the fridge. This destroys parasites and is essential since the fish is eaten raw.
2. 2 Pat the fish very dry with paper towel, then cut into 1.5 cm (¾ inch) cubes. Place in a non-reactive (glass or ceramic) bowl.
3. 3 Pour the lime juice over the fish, add ½ tsp salt, and stir gently so every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes, until the fish turns opaque and feels firm to the bite. Do not leave longer than 45 minutes or the flesh will become chalky.
4. 4 While the fish cures, dice the tomato (seeds and pulp removed if you want less liquid), finely slice the red onion into half-moons, halve the cucumber lengthways, scoop out the watery seeds and dice, mince the garlic, and finely chop the chillies.
5. 5 Drain the cured fish in a sieve, discarding all the lime juice. Shake off excess liquid and tip the fish into a clean bowl.
6. 6 Scoop the thick cream off the top of the chilled coconut cream (you want roughly 200 ml / ¾ cup of cream; the watery layer underneath can be saved for a curry).
7. 7 Add the tomato, onion, cucumber, garlic, chilli and coriander to the fish. Pour the coconut cream over the top and fold very gently with a spoon – do not stir vigorously or the cream will break.
8. 8 Season with the remaining ½ tsp salt and the cracked pepper. Taste and adjust with a little more lime if needed.
9. 9 Cover and chill for 15 minutes so the flavours come together. Serve in small bowls or coconut shell halves, with a wedge of lime and, if you can find them, pieces of boiled cassava (tapioca) or taro on the side.
10. 10 Eat on the same day. Do not keep longer than 6 hours in the fridge – the lime will continue to 'cook' the fish and the coconut cream will weep.