This dish, pronounced "cheb-oo jenn, " is the national dish of Senegal. It can range from a simple bowl of rice and vegetables to more elaborate combinations of vegetables, spices and sauces.

FISH AND PASTE:

2 bunches fresh parsley
2-3 green onions
2 lg. yellow onions
2 tbsp. soy sauce
4-6 cloves garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 heaping tbsp. black pepper
3-4 lb. thick white fish (1 lg. fish, if possible)
Oil for frying

STEW AND RICE:

2-3 onions, finely chopped
3 tbsp. soy sauce
5 oz. tomato paste
4 carrots
4 turnips
1 sm. cabbage
2 eggplants
5 sweet potatoes
6-8 okra
3-4 chili peppers, or 2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 c. dry rice per person

In a blender or food processor, puree all the paste ingredients except fish and oil. (Or chop them finely and mash into a paste with a mortar and pestle.)

Using a sharp knife, cut deep slits into the fish, but be careful not to cut all the way through. Stuff the puree into the pockets formed by the slits. Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a large, heavy skillet or pot, and carefully fry the fish until it is golden brown. Remove fish from the pot and drain on an absorbent cloth.

Pour off all but a few tablespoons of the oil. Add to the pot the onions, soy sauce and tomato paste, along with about 6 cups water. Chop the vegetables into large chunks, except for the okra, which should be left whole. Stir all the vegetables and pepper into the pot, and cook over moderate heat until tender. For the last couple of minutes of cooking, add the fish.

With a slotted spoon, remove fish and vegetables to a heat-proof container and put in a warm oven. Measure the water left in the pot, pouring some off or adding some, as necessary, for the amount of rice you're cooking (use about 2 cups water per cup of white rice and 2 1/2 cups water per cup of brown). Add the rice and cook; it will be flavored and tinted by the residue of vegetables and spices.

To serve, spread rice in a large bowl, and distribute fish and vegetables evenly across it.