Pejelagarto asado
Grilled fish with green salsa
Tabasco-style grilled fish with a sharp green tomatillo salsa; practical version with any firm white fish
In Tabasco, pejelagarto, a prehistoric-looking freshwater gar from the rivers and lagoons, is skewered and grilled whole over wood in its armoured skin, then eaten with tortillas, lime and fierce chile amashito at roadside stands around Villahermosa. The fish is almost never sold outside the region, so this is a practical version using any firm white fish, such as snapper, sea bass or thick hake fillets, grilled until smoky and served with a bright green tomatillo salsa. Serrano or bird's eye chillies stand in for amashito. Serve with warm corn tortillas for tacos. Chef's tip: oil the fish, not the grill bars, and leave it alone for the first few minutes so the skin releases by itself.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 2 ⅝ lb whole firm white fish (snapper or sea bass), cleanedor 4 thick skin-on fillets of about 200 g; stands in for pejelagarto
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
For the green salsa
- 14 oz tomatilloshusked and rinsed
- 2 serrano chilliesor bird's eye chillies, in place of chile amashito
- 1 clove garlic
- ⅔ oz coriander
- ½ tsp salt
To serve
- 12 warm corn tortillas (optional)
- 2 lime wedges (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Score 2 ⅝ lb whole firm white fish (snapper or sea bass), cleaned two or three times on each side. Rub with 2 tbsp lime juice, 2 cloves garlic and 1 tsp salt, cover and keep in the fridge for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 2: Simmer 14 oz tomatillos and 2 serrano chillies in water until the tomatillos turn olive green and soft, about 8 minutes. Drain.
8 minStep 3: Blend the tomatillos and chillies with 1 clove garlic, ¼ white onion, ⅔ oz coriander and ½ tsp salt to a slightly chunky salsa. Taste and adjust the salt.
Step 4: Heat a charcoal grill or griddle pan until very hot. Pat the fish dry and brush it with 2 tbsp vegetable oil.
Step 5: Grill the fish without moving it until the skin is charred and lifts easily from the bars, then turn it once. Don't try to turn it early: that is the usual reason the skin tears and sticks.
8 minStep 6: Cook the second side until the flesh is opaque right to the bone and flakes easily at the thickest point: about 6–8 minutes a side for a whole fish, 4 minutes a side for fillets.
8 minStep 7: Serve whole on a platter with the green salsa, 12 warm corn tortillas and 2 lime wedges, and let everyone pull off pieces for tacos.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pejelagarto asado take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 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?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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