Destination
Puerto Vallarta
The story
Pescado frito is what a Mexican coastal cook makes on a Sunday: a whole snapper, mojarra or sea bass — head, tail and all — is scored deeply along both flanks, dressed with lime, garlic and salt, dredged in seasoned flour, and lowered whole into hot oil until the skin blisters into a glass-like crackling crust and the flesh stays sweet and moist. Served on a big platter with a fresh salsa, a mound of rice, refried beans, warm tortillas and a small stack of limes. The dish is present on every coast — Veracruz, Nayarit, Sinaloa, Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Yucatán — and each region has its own version: Veracruz adds a splash of chile piquín; Nayarit rubs the fish in achiote; Sinaloa serves it with a spoon of aguachile.
Method
Rinse and pat the fish dry inside and out. On each flank, cut 3 deep diagonal slashes right down to the bone, spacing them evenly. This helps the seasoning penetrate and the fish cook evenly.
Whisk together the lime juice, garlic, achiote paste, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl. Rub the mixture all over the fish, working it into the slashes and inside the cavity. Let sit 20 minutes at room temperature.
Combine tomato, onion, serranos, coriander, lime and salt in a bowl. Toss. Add the avocado at the last minute so it doesn't turn.
Warm the oil in a wide heavy pan (at least 5cm deep of oil) to 180C. Test with a scrap of bread — it should sizzle instantly and turn golden in 45 seconds.
Whisk together the flour, salt, paprika and pepper on a wide plate. Roll the fish in the flour mix, patting to coat everywhere including the slashes.
Lower the fish carefully into the hot oil (protect yourself — a spatter shield helps). Fry 4 to 5 minutes on the first side, then use two spatulas to flip carefully. Fry another 4 to 5 minutes on the second side. The skin should be blistered, deeply golden and crackly. Internal temperature at the thickest part should be 65C.
Lift the fish onto a wire rack (not paper) and let drain 2 minutes. Season with an extra pinch of salt.
Set the whole fish on a big platter. Arrange rice, beans, warm tortillas and salsa around it. Bring to the table whole. Eaters pull flesh off the bone with forks or fingers, fold into tortillas with salsa and lime, and eat as tacos. A cold Mexican beer is essential.
Tips
- Fresh fish only. This dish exposes everything. Frozen fish gives you a soggy result. Buy a whole fish that morning if possible; ask the fishmonger to scale and gut.
- Score deep. All the way to the bone on both flanks. Shallow scores don't do enough — the flesh under the skin cooks too slowly.
- 180C is the exact temperature. Cooler and the skin doesn't crisp. Hotter and the outside burns before the inside cooks. Use a thermometer if you have one.
- Two spatulas for the flip. A whole fried fish is fragile. Use one spatula under the head and one under the tail to flip in one motion. Losing the skin is possible.
- Serve immediately. A whole fried fish sits for 5 minutes max before the skin softens. Plan your rice, beans and tortillas to be ready when the fish comes out of the oil.
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