Rougaille de Poisson

Rougaille de poisson is fish simmered in a tomato, onion and garlic sauce with chilli. It is a Creole dish of the Indian Ocean islands, and the Seychelles version carries the local name Rougay Pwason. The same tomato-based rougaille is also made in Mauritius and Madagascar, so the dish is shared across these islands rather than belonging to one.

What it really is

Pieces of fish are cooked slowly in a sauce that begins with onion and garlic softened together, followed by tomato, which breaks down into a thick, rich base. Chilli gives the sauce its heat. The fish goes into the sauce and simmers until it is just cooked through, so it holds its shape rather than falling apart. Because the sauce carries most of the flavour, the quality of the tomato and the balance of chilli decide the character of the dish. It is a stew, not a fried or grilled dish.

How it's served

• Hot, in a shallow bowl, with the sauce spooned over the fish.
• With plain rice, which soaks up the sauce.
• As a main course, on its own or for sharing at a table.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the fish, with its species if you know it, and give the local name Rougay Pwason beside the English name.
• Flag fish as an allergen, since fish is the main ingredient.
• State the chilli heat as mild, medium or hot, so guests know what to expect.
• Say that the sauce is tomato-based, which matters for guests who avoid tomato.
• List rice or bread served with it as a separate item, with its own allergen flags.