Pescado zarandeado
Grilled marinated whole fish
Pescado zarandeado: Nayarit's butterflied whole fish in chile marinade, grilled over coals
On the beaches of Nayarit, from San Blas to the island of Mexcaltitán, cooks clamp butterflied snapper in a hinged grill basket and shake it over mangrove charcoal; 'zarandear' means to shake. The flesh is brushed with a paste of guajillo and chipotle chiles, citrus and a little mayonnaise, which chars at the edges while the fish stays moist. Bring it to the table whole and let everyone pull off pieces into tortillas with lime, red onion and cucumber. You can ask the fishmonger to take the head off. Chef's tip: oil the grill basket well, or the skin sticks.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 2 ⅝ lb whole red snapper or sea bassscaled and butterflied from the back
For the marinade
- 3 dried guajillo chilesseeded
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp gluten-free tamari
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
To serve
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (7)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Soak the 3 dried guajillo chiles in hot water for 15 minutes until soft, then drain.
15 minStep 2: Blend the chiles with the 2 chipotle chiles in adobo, 3 cloves garlic, ¼ cup orange juice, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp gluten-free tamari, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, ½ tsp dried oregano and 1 tsp salt to a thick paste.
3 minStep 3: Pat the 2 ⅝ lb whole red snapper or sea bass dry and spread the paste over the flesh side. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes, not longer, or the citrus starts to cook the fish.
30 minStep 4: Light a charcoal grill to medium-hot, or heat a griddle or the oven to 425°F. Brush a grill basket with the 2 tbsp sunflower oil and clamp the fish inside.
10 minStep 5: Grill flesh side down for 8–10 minutes, shaking the basket now and then. Turning it too early is the common mistake: wait until it releases easily.
9 minStep 6: Turn and grill skin side down for 6–8 minutes until the flesh is opaque and flakes at the thickest part.
7 minStep 7: Serve whole with 12 warm corn tortillas, 1 red onion, 1 cucumber and 2 limes.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pescado zarandeado take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 20 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 garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of orange juice?
- Mandarin or pineapple juice, same amount.
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