Crunchy Fish Filet with a Light Sweet & Sour Sauce
By Paul Rees
(Serves 2)
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 1 C sugar
- ½ C water
- ½ C vinegar
- 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
- ½ tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 ½ tsp srirachi or chilero
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- ¼ C carrot, julienne or grated
For the Fish
- 600 gm fish filet with skin (salmon, trout & mackerel work well)
- ¼ C flour
- ¼ C cornmeal (sold as Instant Polenta in Supermas)
- ¼ C panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water & ¼ tsp salt
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil if needed
- ¼ C chopped culantro or cilantro
Directions
For the Sauce
- Boil the sugar, water & vinegar for 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat & stir in garlic, fish sauce & srirachi. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat, cool to room temperature & add the lime juice & carrot.
This sauce is supposed to keep for several months refrigerated in a sealed container, but in our house it’s never around more than a couple of weeks.
For the Fish
- Cut the fish across the width into 1 ½ – 2 inch strips (about 6 pieces).
- Lightly season both sides with salt & pepper.
- Spread the flour, cornmeal & Panko in 3 separate pie plates or dishes.
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, be careful not to brown it.
- Dust the fish pieces with the flour & shake off the excess.
- Dip the fish into the egg to cover entirely.
- Place the fish skin-side down in the cornmeal & press gently.
- Then place the fish flesh-side down in the Panko & press gently.
- Place the fish skin-side down in the frying pan & press gently so the entire skin makes contact with the surface of the pan. Cook for 5 minutes. The fish will be cooked almost completely through.
- Add more vegetable oil if needed. Gently turn the fish over & cook for 15 to 20 seconds, just to brown the Panko.
- Plate the fish skin-side down, pour a few spoonfuls of sauce over it & garnish with culantro.
- Serve with steamed broccoli & tiquisque fritos (recipe here).