National Dish Ecuador: Encebollado (Recipe)
In this article
Encebollado is Ecuador’s hangover cure and it is taken seriously as such. Tuna, cassava and pickled red onion in a cumin-heavy broth, eaten at eight in the morning on the coast. The onion is what the name refers to, and it goes on top raw and lime-soaked.
About Encebollado
Encebollado is a fish soup from the Ecuadorian coast, and albacore tuna is the fish. Cassava gives it body, cumin does the seasoning, and the encurtido of thinly sliced red onion in lime tops it. Plantain chips are crumbled over at the table.
It is breakfast food. Restaurants in Guayaquil serve it from six in the morning and are busiest before nine.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 300 g fresh fish (e.g. tuna or sea bream)
- 1 large onion, cut into fine rings
- 200 g cassava (yuca root), peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2–3 limes, for the juice
- Fresh coriander, to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 litre water or fish stock
Shopping for the ingredients
Fresh albacore is the authentic fish, though any firm tuna works and even good tinned tuna makes a respectable version. Frozen cassava is sold peeled in Latin American and African shops and saves a difficult job. Red onion, not white, for the topping.
Preparing the dish
Slice the onion as thinly as you can and soak it in lime juice with a pinch of salt for at least twenty minutes. That is the encurtido and it should be sharp and slightly softened. Peel the cassava thoroughly and remove the woody core.
Step-by-step instructions
- Bring 1 litre of water or fish stock to the boil in a large pan.
- Add the diced cassava and cook for about 15 minutes, until soft.
- Add the onion rings and the chopped garlic and let everything simmer together.
- Season the broth with cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, then add the fish.
- Cook the soup for a further 10 minutes, until the fish is done.
- Just before serving, stir in the juice of the limes and some fresh coriander.
- Serve the encebollado piping hot, with an extra squeeze of lime.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
Fish, cassava and lime contain no gluten and no dairy. The dish is naturally suitable for both restrictions, and plantain chips are gluten-free too.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
The broth is built on fish. Hearts of palm or jackfruit in a well-seasoned vegetable stock with plenty of cumin and lime give a passable version, and the cassava and pickled onion carry a lot of it. Locro de papa is the more straightforward Ecuadorian vegetarian soup.
More tips and tricks
Cook the cassava until it splits and starts falling apart, which thickens the broth. Do not overcook the tuna; it needs six or seven minutes at most and goes chalky beyond that. And keep the pickled onion raw and separate, adding it at the table rather than in the pot.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
A spoonful of tomato in the broth is common in some regions. Plantain chips or popcorn scattered on top is standard and not optional in Guayaquil. Extra chilli sauce on the side.
Ingredient substitutions
Tinned tuna makes a fast weekday version. Potato replaces cassava with a different texture. Lemon works in place of lime, though lime is correct.
Drink pairing ideas
Fresh naranjilla juice is the Ecuadorian breakfast drink and pairs naturally. Pilsener or Club, the local lagers, if it is later in the day. Strong black coffee.
Serving and presentation ideas
Serve it in a deep bowl, hot, with the pickled onion heaped on top, coriander scattered over, and plantain chips and lime wedges on the side. Chilli sauce and more lime stay on the table.
A bit of history
The dish belongs to the Pacific coast, where tuna fishing is a major industry, and cassava is the pre-Columbian staple of the lowlands. Its reputation as a cure for the previous night is genuine and widespread. It anchors Ecuadorian cuisine on the coast, where ceviche and viche share the table.
More recipe ideas
Summary: Encebollado
Encebollado is tuna and cassava in a cumin broth, topped with lime-pickled red onion and plantain chips. Cook the cassava until it breaks down, keep the tuna brief, and add the onion at the table.
