Pescado frito

Ingredients

Fish

• 4whole fish, about 400 g each, red snapper, corvina or sea bass
• juice of 3 limes
• 6 clovesgarlic, crushed
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 2 tspsalt

Coating

• 150 gplain flour
• or half flour and half fine cornmeal
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tsppaprika

To fry

• oil, for deep or shallow frying

To serve

• patacones
• coconut rice or plain rice
• sliced tomato and onion salad
• lime wedges
• hot sauce

Directions

1. Use a whole fish of about four hundred grams per person, which is one fish each. Snapper and corvina are the usual choices in Panama, and any firm-fleshed whole fish works.
2. Cut three or four deep diagonal slashes into the flesh on each side, right down to the bone. Scoring lets the heat penetrate so the thick part cooks through before the thin tail burns.
3. Cut all the way to the bone rather than making shallow marks, which achieve nothing. Rub the lime, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper into the fish, working it into the slashes and the cavity.
4. Leave it for fifteen to twenty minutes and no longer. Do not marinate fish in lime for hours, since the acid begins to cure the flesh and it turns opaque and firm, like ceviche. Mix the flour with salt and paprika and dredge the fish thoroughly, including inside the slashes and the belly cavity.
5. Shake off every bit of excess, since loose flour burns in the oil and turns it dark. Coat it at the last moment, since flour sitting on damp fish turns to paste. Use enough oil to come at least halfway up the fish, and deep frying is better still.
6. Heat it to about 180°C and check it with a thermometer if you can. Too cool and the fish absorbs oil and the skin goes soggy, too hot and the skin burns while the middle is raw. Turn it once, using two spatulas or a fish slice and a spoon to support it. Fry the second side for another four or five minutes. Now judging when the fish is done.
7. Lift it out and drain it on a rack rather than on paper, so the underside stays crisp. Salt it lightly while it is still hot. Serve it immediately with patacones, rice and a squeeze of lime.

Technique

• Scoring to the bone lets the thick part cook before the tail burns.
• The fish must be patted completely dry or the skin will not crisp.
• Do not move it for the first few minutes or the skin tears off.

Substitutions

• Any firm whole fish in place of snapper.
• Fine cornmeal mixed into the flour for a crunchier crust.

Variations

• Served with a garlic and coriander sauce over the top.
• With coconut rice, which is the coastal standard.
• Made with fillets, which is quicker though less good.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pescado frito?

Pescado frito is a main from Panama: whole fried fish with patacones at beach fondas.

How long does Pescado frito take to make?

Pescado frito takes 20 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Pescado frito?

Yes, within limits. Any firm whole fish in place of snapper. Fine cornmeal mixed into the flour for a crunchier crust.

What is the most important thing to get right in Pescado frito?

Cut all the way to the bone rather than making shallow marks, which achieve nothing. Rub the lime, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper into the fish, working it into the slashes and the cavity.