Chupín de Pescado

Chupín de pescado is the river version of puchero, Argentina's homely boiled dinner, made with freshwater fish instead of beef. It is a specialty of the Litoral, particularly the Paraná river towns of Corrientes, Entre Ríos and Santa Fe. River fish (boga, surubí, or patí) is cut into chunks, simmered with potatoes, bell peppers, tomatoes, onion and garlic in a generous amount of water, and cooked until the fish is tender and the potatoes have thickened the broth into a hearty, golden stew. Eaten in deep bowls with bread, it is the fisherman's one-pot dinner, sustaining and cheap, and the river fish gives it a clean, sweet flavour distinct from the meat version.

A thick, golden, deeply savoury fish stew with tender chunks of river fish, soft potatoes and sweet peppers, the broth rich from the fish bones and tomato. Eaten hot with bread to soak it up, the taste of the river in a bowl.

The stew is a simple braise that thickens itself. Fish chunks (on the bone for flavour) are simmered with sliced potatoes, diced bell peppers, chopped tomatoes, onion and garlic in water for 30 to 40 minutes. The potatoes break down partially, releasing their starch to thicken the broth, while the fish releases its gelatin and flavour. The vegetables give sweetness and body. No flour is added; the stew thickens naturally. The fish must be fresh, and the bones left in during cooking are removed at the table. The result is a rustic, hearty, clean-flavoured stew, the river's answer to the pampas' puchero.