Today we're heading to the tropical islands of Fiji, where the cuisine combines oceanic abundance and Polynesian traditions. We're making two iconic dishes: refreshing raw fish in coconut milk and meat slow-cooked in an earth oven.
🐟 Kokoda
A refreshing dish of raw white fish marinated in lime and drenched in thick coconut milk with crunchy vegetables. Fiji's national pride—a tropical ceviche with a creamy texture and bright citrus flavor.
Ingredients:
• White fish fillet (mahi-mahi, sea bass, or halibut) — 500 g
• Limes — 6-8 pcs (for 200 ml juice)
• Coconut milk (17-19% fat) — 400 ml
• Tomato — 2 medium
• Red bell pepper — 1 pc
• Red onion — 1 medium
• Cucumber — 1 medium
• Fresh chili pepper — 1 pc
• Green onion — 4-5 stalks
• Fresh cilantro — small bunch
• Sea salt — 1 tsp
• Freshly ground black pepper — to taste
Preparation:
Inspect the fish fillet for bones, remove them with tweezers. Cut the fillet into 1.5×1.5 cm cubes—the geometry should be even so the marinating happens uniformly. Place the cubes in a glass or ceramic bowl.
Squeeze juice from the limes, strain through a fine sieve to remove seeds and pulp. Pour the juice over the fish completely—the cubes should be swimming. Add half a teaspoon of salt, stir with a wooden spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. The fish is ready when the flesh turns white all the way through and becomes opaque, like cooked.
While the fish marinates, prep the vegetables. Cut the red onion into thin half-rings 2 mm thick, soak in cold water for 15 minutes to remove the bitterness. Seed the tomatoes (cut in half and scrape out with a spoon), dice the flesh into 5 mm cubes. Remove seeds and white membranes from the bell pepper, dice the same size.
Cut the cucumber lengthwise in half, remove seeds with a teaspoon, slice into half-rounds 3 mm thick. Remove seeds from the chili (if you want moderate heat) and chop finely. Chop the green onion and cilantro coarsely.
Take the fish out of the fridge, drain all the lime juice through a strainer—it's no longer needed. Pat the fish dry with paper towels to remove excess liquid.
In a large bowl, combine the marinated fish, water-squeezed onion, tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, chili, green onion, and half the cilantro. Pour in room-temperature coconut milk (take out of the fridge ahead of time), add the remaining salt and pepper. Gently mix with a silicone spatula so you don't crush the fish. The mixture should be creamy, all pieces coated with milk.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and return to the fridge for at least 30 minutes—during this time the flavors will integrate. Before serving, taste and adjust salt. Spoon into chilled bowls, garnish with remaining cilantro. Serve immediately with white bread toast or eat separately with spoons.
💡 Fact: Kokoda is the Fijian version of ceviche, which appeared thanks to Polynesian seafarer influence. Unlike Latin American versions, thick coconut milk is mandatory here, giving the dish tropical creaminess and softening the lime's acidity.
🍖 Lovo
Fiji's traditional festive dish—meat and vegetables slow-cooked in an improvised earth oven. The adapted oven version preserves the smoky aroma and incredible juiciness thanks to slow cooking in foil with banana leaves.
Ingredients:
• Pork belly (or shoulder) — 800 g
• Chicken thighs on the bone — 6 pcs
• Sweet potato (batata) — 500 g
• Cassava (or regular potato) — 500 g
• Taro (or turnip) — 300 g
• Large onion — 2 pcs
• Carrot — 3 medium
• Coconut milk — 400 ml
• Fresh ginger — 4 cm piece
• Garlic — 6 cloves
• Frozen banana leaves (or cabbage leaves) — 4-5 large
• Coarse salt — 2 tbsp
• Black peppercorns — 1 tbsp
• Ground turmeric — 1 tsp
• Vegetable oil — 3 tbsp
Preparation:
Defrost banana leaves at room temperature, then quickly pass over an open burner flame or singe with a kitchen torch on each side for 10 seconds—they'll become pliable and aromatic. If using cabbage, blanch the leaves in boiling water for 2 minutes until soft.
Cut the pork belly into portion-sized 5×5 cm pieces with skin (if present). Rinse and dry the chicken thighs. Put all the meat in a large bowl. Grate ginger and garlic on a fine grater, mix with salt, pepper, turmeric, and oil until you get a paste. Thoroughly rub each piece of meat with this paste, massaging the spices in. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 2 hours in the fridge (overnight is better).
Peel the sweet potato and cassava (or potato), cut into large 4-5 cm pieces. Also peel and cut the taro (or turnip). Quarter the onions without separating the layers. Cut carrots diagonally into 3 cm thick pieces.
Preheat oven to 160°C. Take a very large baking sheet with high sides (or roasting pan) and line the bottom with a triple layer of foil so the edges hang 40 cm over all sides. On top of the foil, lay banana leaves overlapping, completely covering the bottom.
On the banana leaves, lay down a layer of root vegetables (sweet potato, cassava, taro), then a layer of onion and carrot. On top arrange the marinated meat—pork first, then chicken. Evenly pour all the coconut milk over everything so it seeps between the layers.
Cover the construction with remaining banana leaves, then tightly wrap the foil into an envelope, folding the edges several times. The packet must be airtight so steam doesn't escape. Put the baking sheet in the oven on the middle rack.
Braise for 3.5-4 hours at 160°C. Don't open the foil early! Lovo is ready when the pork falls apart at a fork's touch, the chicken easily separates from the bones, and the root vegetables are soft all the way through and soaked with the aromas of meat and coconut. Carefully unwrap the foil (lots of steam will come out!), arrange the contents on a large platter. Pour the juices from the bottom over it. Serve hot, eaten with hands or forks.
💡 Fact: Traditional Lovo is cooked in a pit lined with red-hot volcanic rocks and is the centerpiece of any Fijian celebration. The cooking process can take up to 5-6 hours, and smoking from firewood gives the dish an unmistakable earthy aroma. In Fiji they say: "Lovo unites the village"—it's always prepared communally for large family and tribal celebrations.