We can prepare your toasts in so many ways, right? This time, I chose fish. #   # This is such a coherent choice for me, as I love eating fish. This time I chose bull ray because I had to stew it anyway to make [bull ray pie](https://peakd.com/hive-120586/@marlyncabrera/bull-ray-pie-venezuelan-baked-fish-omelet). This is the kind of stew I can eat from the fridge, just cold as it is, and enjoy it over a piece of cassava toast or in a sandwich with a little homemade mayonnaise and fresh tomato and red onion rings, some drops of fresh lemon... oh 🤤😋 but I digress. Today I made *tostas* which I love with the sourdough bread I make myself and keep in my fridge. #  #  ## INGREDIENTS # #### For the stew: # * about 1.5 kg fresh bull ray fish pulp (after removing the skin and bones, 60% of the weight remains in fish pulp) * about 1.5 kg veggies: red and green bell pepper - sweet and hot chili pepper - garlic - onion - fresh parsley - fresh cilantro * freshly squeezed lemon juice * 1 tablespoon paprika * 1 tablespoon ground cumin * some freshly cracked black pepper * 1 tablespoon pulverized piloncillo * 2-3 bay leaves * about 25 ml annatto oil * salt to taste # #### For the tostas: # * homemade sourdough toasts * ripe plantain puree * mozzarella di buffala * arugula * olive oil * freshly cracked black pepper --- #  ## THE PROCESS # ##### Fish Pulp # I started by cooking the fish for about an hour in water with a little salt and a couple of bay leaves. Then I removed the skin and bones. The skin is thin and sticky and the bones are mostly cartilaginous, which means your hands are too busy to take photos. #  # ##### Annatto oil # To make the annatto oil, I used a handful of annatto seeds and about 100 ml of olive oil. I cooked them over low heat, stirring gently so that the seeds would release their color, aroma, and flavor. This should be done without bringing the oil to a boil. Any prepared annatto oil you don't use can be stored in the pantry and will last a couple of months. #  # ##### The sofrito # To make bull ray stew the traditional way, we need a sofrito. I chopped and fried the vegetables, staring by the onion. #  # I added the paprika, ground cumin, and bay leaves. #  # It's important to discard the seeds and veins of the bell peppers and chili peppers because they can make the sofrito bitter. #   # I minced the garlic. I got about 3 tablespoons. #  I went adding the veggies in the cooking wok as I chopped them. #  # ##### The fish # When the veggies were tender and had begun to brown... #  # ...it was time to add the fish chunks and stir until it blended well with the sofrito. #  # As you stir it with the spoon, the pieces of boiled fish break apart and mix well with the sautéed vegetables and their juices. #  # ##### Freshness # When the stew was practically done, I added the fresh parsley, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and freshly cracked black pepper. This makes the stew smell and taste fresh. #  # At this point, I also added the pulverized piloncillo. It makes a delicious contrast with the lemon juice. #  Et voila! #  # I removed the wok from the fire and let it sit until it was cool enough for the toasts. #  # ### The toasts 😋 # Now I'll show you my tostas 👇 for which I mashed ripe plantain, to add a creamy and sweet touch. #  # I spread the plantain puree over the toasts. #  # Then I added a good amount of fish stew and a piece of buffala cheesemozzarella di buffala, arugula, olive oil, and black pepper. #   #  As soon as I started eating, I rememebered I had some olives. They went just fine with the toasts. # # Bon appetit! #  # As always, I hope you found this post useful 😁❤️ #  # Thank you so much for your visit :)  ###### Banner by @andresromero 🖤