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Mojarra frita
Fried whole tilapia
Mojarra frita: Cartagena's whole tilapia, scored and fried crisp, with coconut rice and patacones
On the beaches of Bocagrande and in the open-air kitchens of La Boquilla outside Cartagena, the lunch plate is a whole mojarra (tilapia) fried until its fins crackle, served with coconut rice, smashed green plantain patacones and a tomato and onion salad with lime. The skin goes shatteringly crisp, the flesh stays sweet and moist, and you eat it with your fingers, pulling meat off the bone. Scoring the sides lets the heat and seasoning reach the thick part near the spine. The mistake to avoid is putting a wet fish into the oil, which spits dangerously and leaves the skin soggy: pat it very dry and dust it lightly. Chef's tip: fry one fish at a time in plenty of oil and don't move it for the first 4 minutes, so the skin sets before you turn it. Serve with arroz con coco for the full Caribbean plate.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 4 whole tilapiaabout 400 g each, gutted and scaled
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 4 tbsp cornflouror fine maize flour
- 6 ¼ cups sunflower oilfor frying
For the patacones
- 2 green plantainspeeled, cut into 4 cm pieces
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rinse 4 whole tilapia inside and out and cut 3 diagonal slashes to the bone on each side. Rub with 3 tbsp lime juice, 3 garlic cloves, 1 ⅝ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper, inside the belly too. Leave in the fridge for 20 minutes.
25 minStep 2: Heat 6 ¼ cups sunflower oil in a wide, deep pan to 300°F. Fry 2 green plantains for 5 minutes, until soft but not coloured. Drain, then press each piece flat to 1 cm between two plates or with a heavy cup.
8 minStep 3: Pat the fish very dry with kitchen paper and dust both sides lightly with 4 tbsp cornflour, shaking off the excess.
3 minStep 4: Raise the oil to 350°F. Lower one fish in, away from you, and fry without moving it for 4–5 minutes, until the underside is crisp and golden. Turn carefully and fry 4–5 minutes more, until the flesh at the thickest part near the bone is opaque and flakes easily.
10 minStep 5: Drain on a rack and keep warm in a low oven while you fry the rest, letting the oil come back to 350°F between fish.
15 minStep 6: Fry the flattened plantains in the hot oil for 2–3 minutes, until crisp and golden. Drain and sprinkle with the rest of ⅜ tsp salt.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mojarra frita take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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