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                                            Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 60 Minutes  | 
                                            Ready In: 90 Minutes Servings: 6  | 
                                         
                                        
                                     
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                    The Caribbean coast of Guatemala has a wealth of fresh fish and coconuts. This dish, which frequently contains a wide variety of seafood, including squid, crab, shrimp, red snapper, sea bass, or mako shark, is an expression of this natural bounty. Achiote, also known as annatto, is a red-orange vegetable dye used to color dishes throughout Latin America. Ingredients: 
                    
                        
                                                2 cups coconut milk (fresh)  |  
                                                1 small onion  |  
                                                1 medium red bell pepper  |  
                                                2 lbs red snapper fillets (or bass, or tilefish)  |  
                                                1 lb medium shrimp  |  
                                                1 tablespoon corn oil  |  
                                                1 teaspoon dried oregano  |  
                                                1/4 teaspoon achiote (also called annatto) (optional)  |  
                                                1/2 teaspoon salt  |  
                                                1/4 teaspoon black pepper (fresh ground )  |  
                                                1 medium banana  |  
                                                1 medium tomato  |  
                                                3 tablespoons cilantro leaves (minced)  |  
                                                2 cups water  |  
                                                4 cups grated fresh coconut  |  
                                                
                     
                    Directions: 
                    
                        
                            
                                1. Make the Coconut Milk : In a 2- to 2 1/2-quart saucepan bring water to a boil and add coconut. Cook coconut over moderately high heat 2 minutes and remove pan from heat. Let mixture stand, covered, 10 minutes. In a food processor or blender blend coconut mixture until very thick. In a fine sieve set over a bowl strain coconut mixture, pressing hard on solids. Working over bowl, squeeze small handfuls of solids to extract as much milk as possible. Coconut milk keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days or frozen in an airtight container 6 months. 2. Peel and thinly slice the onion (1/2 cup). 3. Core, seed, and cut the bell pepper into 1/4-inch strips. 4. Cut the fish fillets into 2-inch pieces. Peel, rinse, and devein the shrimp. 5. Heat the corn oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and red pepper and. 6. sauté over medium heat until softened, about 1 minute. 7. Add the Coconut Milk, oregano, achiote, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring liquid to a boil and then simmer over low heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. 8. Stir in the fish and the shrimp and simmer until seafood is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. 9. Peel and cut the banana into 1-inch slices. Cut the tomato into 1-inch dice. 10. (3/4 cup) and add it to the soup along with the banana. Simmer the soup. 11. until the banana and tomato are just cooked, 5 minutes. (You can cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.). 12. To serve reheat the soup if made in advance. Stir in the cilantro.                              | 
                         
                         
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