Geof and Jennifer created this recipe to recollect a dish served by the kind, welcoming, eccentric hermit, Fileti, one of the favorite chefs of the King of Tonga. Fileti lives with his family alone on the island of Foe'ata, where we were lucky enough to be his guests for five wonderful days in paradise.
- 22 cups tomatoes, chopped
- 3 cups fish or chicken stock
- 2 or 3 bananas
- 3 cups wine
- 2 1/2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 1/2 onions, chopped
- 2 1/2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 9 to 12 tbsp coconut milk
- Sautee the onions, celery, garlic, and bay leaves until soft. Add half the wine to deglaze. Add the tomatoes and half the stock, cover, and stew until everything is very soft. Add the remaining stock and wine. Remove from heat. Puree in batches and pass through a sieve to obtain a silken consistency. You should have about 15 3/4 cups. Add the remaining wine and reduce to 12 cups or desired consistency. Add sugar, vinegar, salt, cayenne, and coconut milk, all to taste. There should be a bit of spiciness, sweet, and sour. Slice bananas and stir in soup for a few minutes to warm. Serve and garnish with chopped parsley or hot pepper slivers. Serves 10.
- 3 cups fish or chicken stock
