AI-generated image
Isca de peixe
Fried fish strips
Isca de peixe: crisp fried fish strips with lime and tartar sauce, from Brazil's beach kiosks and bars
From the beach kiosks of Rio and Santos to bars by the lakes of the interior, isca de peixe is ordered by the portion to share with friends, eaten with fingers, a squeeze of lime and a little bowl of tartar sauce. Strips of mild white fish get a quick lime-and-garlic seasoning, a dusting of flour and a short fry, so the coating stays thin and crackly while the fish inside stays moist. Chef's tip: keep the lime marinade short, about 15 minutes; any longer and the acid starts to turn the fish soft.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 ½ oz plain flour
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- 1 limecut into wedges
For the tartar sauce
- 4 oz mayonnaise
- 2 pickled gherkinsfinely chopped
- 1 tbsp caperschopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsleychopped
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Cut the 1 ⅓ lb skinless white fish fillets (tilapia, hake or cod) into strips about 1.5 cm thick and 8 cm long. Toss with the 2 tbsp lime juice, 2 cloves garlic and 1 tsp salt, cover and leave in the fridge for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 2: Meanwhile, stir the 4 oz mayonnaise, 2 pickled gherkins, 1 tbsp capers and 1 tbsp fresh parsley together and chill.
3 minStep 3: Mix the 3 ½ oz plain flour and 2 tbsp cornflour on a plate. Pat the fish strips dry with kitchen paper; dredging wet fish is the common mistake that leaves a gummy, patchy crust. Toss them in the flour and shake off the excess.
4 minStep 4: Heat the 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil, for deep-frying to 350°F. Fry the strips in 3 batches for about 3 minutes until golden and crisp; the fish is done when it is opaque all the way through and flakes when broken.
10 minStep 5: Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with the tartar sauce and 1 lime wedges.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does isca de peixe take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Moreton Bay bugsSlipper lobster with garlic butter
Moreton Bay bugs are the flat, shovel-nosed slipper lobsters caught off the Queensland coast around Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, and for Queenslanders they are a summer treat, split and grilled at the beach house. The tail meat is sweet and rich, somewhere between lobster and prawn. Buy them raw, frozen or fresh, from a fishmonger and ask them to halve them if you like. A common mistake is overcooking, which makes the meat rubbery; it is ready the moment it turns white. Chef's tip: grill flesh side down first to mark it, then turn and baste in the shell.
Australian
Midia saganakiMussels with tomato and feta
Thessaloniki is Greece's mussel capital, with farms in the Thermaic Gulf a few kilometres from the seafront ouzeries where this two-handled pan arrives, still bubbling, at the table. Mussels steam open in a quick sauce of peppers, tomato and chilli, and crumbled feta melts into the juices at the end. Bread is essential. The classic version adds a splash of ouzo; this one is alcohol-free, using a pinch of fennel seed for that aniseed note (add 2 tbsp ouzo with the tomatoes if you like). Common mistake: overcooking — take the pan off the heat as soon as the shells open. Chef's tip: buy mussels on the day and keep them in the fridge in a bowl covered with a damp cloth, never in water.
Greek
PingadoHot milk with coffee
Order 'um pingado' at the balcão of any São Paulo padaria at 7 in the morning and the attendant pours hot milk into a ridged glass tumbler (the copo americano) and 'drips' in a splash of strong coffee, hence the name. It is milkier and gentler than a média (half coffee, half milk), creamy and lightly sweet, usually drunk standing up with a pão na chapa, a toasted buttered roll. At home you need strong filter coffee and milk heated until steaming. Scalding the milk is the frequent mistake, as boiled milk tastes flat and forms a skin. Chef's tip: froth the hot milk for a few seconds with a whisk or by pouring it back and forth between two jugs before adding the coffee, as padaria machines do.