Pescado Frito con Arroz de Coco

The story

Pescado Frito con Arroz de Coco is a Colombian main with a clear sense of place. Whole fried fish with coconut rice is emblematic of Colombia’s Caribbean coast, especially around Cartagena and beach towns where fresh fish, plantain and coconut are everyday ingredients. The recipe below keeps the defining ingredients and technique intact while giving practical metric quantities and enough detail for a home cook to judge texture, seasoning and doneness rather than simply follow a timer.

Ingredients

• 4 piece whole red snapper or sea bream450–550 g each, scaled and gutted
• 3 piece limes
• 15 g Garliccrushed
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 80 g plain flourfor light dusting
• 1500 ml neutral frying oil
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 300 g long-grain rice
• 300 ml water
• 25 g panela or brown sugar
• 50 g Raisinsoptional
• 2 piece green plantainsfor patacones

Method

1. Score each fish deeply on both sides,

   Score each fish deeply on both sides, rub with lime juice, garlic and salt and rest 15 minutes. Pat the skin very dry before dusting lightly with flour, including inside the scores.

   Tip: Score the fish to expose more skin and flesh to the hot oil, but dry it thoroughly after marinating. Avoid: Wet fish skin spits and refuses to crisp; overcrowding drops oil temperature; coconut milk can scorch if the caramelised solids are pushed too far.

2. For the rice, simmer coconut milk in

   For the rice, simmer coconut milk in a wide saucepan until some coconut solids separate and begin to caramelise lightly. Stir in panela, then add rice, water, salt and optional raisins. Cover and cook gently until the rice is tender.

   Look for: some coconut solids separate and begin to caramelise lightly

3. Prepare patacones using the two-stage fry

   Prepare patacones using the two-stage fry: first fry plantain chunks until tender, flatten them, then fry again until crisp. Keep warm on a rack.

   Look for: tender, flatten them, then fry again until crisp

4. Heat clean frying oil to 175°C in

   Heat clean frying oil to 175°C in a vessel large enough for one fish. Lower a fish carefully and fry 7–9 minutes depending on size, turning once, until the skin is deeply crisp and the flesh opaque at the bone.

   Look for: the skin is deeply crisp and the flesh opaque at the bone

5. Drain the fish upright briefly so oil

   Drain the fish upright briefly so oil leaves the cavity and scored sections. Repeat with the remaining fish, allowing the oil to return to temperature each time.

6. Serve one whole fish per person with

   Serve one whole fish per person with coconut rice, patacones and lime wedges. Eat immediately while the skin is audibly crisp.

   Look for: Skin is crisp from head to tail, flesh lifts opaque from the bone and rice grains are tender and separate.

Nutrition

per serving

Estimated from the listed ingredients and default serving size. Actual values vary with brands, trimming, absorption and cooking losses.