Pejerrey arrebozado
Battered fish fillets with onion salsa
Lima's battered silverside fillets with salsa criolla and rice
Pejerrey arrebozado is a Lima classic from the cevicherías and home kitchens of the coast, eaten at lunch on a plate with white rice, a heap of sharp salsa criolla and sometimes boiled potato. The pejerrey, a small silverside, is opened into butterflied fillets, dipped in a light egg-and-flour batter and fried golden. Outside Peru, use small fillets of whiting, sole, haddock or tilapia. The batter here uses sparkling water, not beer, so it is alcohol free. The common mistake is frying in oil that isn't hot enough: the batter drinks the oil and turns greasy, so test with a drop of batter first. Chef's tip: make the salsa criolla first and let the onion sit in lime for ten minutes; it softens its bite and turns a pretty pink.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the salsa criolla
- 1 red onionhalved and very thinly sliced
- 1 ají amarillo or mild red chilliseeded and cut into thin strips
- 2 limesjuiced
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- ½ tsp salt
For the fish
- 1 ⅓ lb pejerrey or small white fish filletssuch as whiting, sole or tilapia, skin off
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 garlic clovecrushed
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
For the batter
- 4 oz plain flour
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup cold sparkling water
- 2 cups vegetable oilfor frying
To serve
- 1 ⅓ lb cooked white ricehot
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Make the salsa: rinse 1 red onion in cold water, drain, then toss with 1 ají amarillo or mild red chilli, 2 limes, 2 tbsp fresh coriander and ½ tsp salt. Set aside while you cook.
4 minStep 2: Pat 1 ⅓ lb pejerrey or small white fish fillets dry and rub with 1 tsp salt, 1 garlic clove and ¼ tsp ground white pepper.
3 minStep 3: Whisk 4 oz plain flour, 1 egg and ¾ cup cold sparkling water into a smooth batter about as thick as double cream.
2 minStep 4: Heat 2 cups vegetable oil to 350°F in a deep pan, filled no more than a third full. A drop of batter should rise and sizzle at once.
5 minStep 5: Dip each fillet in the batter, let the excess drip off, and fry 2–3 pieces at a time, turning once, until puffed and deep golden and the fish inside is opaque and flakes easily, 3–4 minutes. Don't crowd the pan, or the oil cools and the batter goes greasy.
8 minStep 6: Drain on kitchen paper. Serve hot with 1 ⅓ lb cooked white rice and the salsa criolla piled on top or alongside.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pejerrey arrebozado take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 12 minutes to prepare and 13 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 red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of ají amarillo or mild red chilli?
- Green chilli, same amount (same heat, greener taste).
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