How to make a salvadoran style fried fish

Have you noticed that Salvadoran food doesn’t get as much attention from food media for our seafood? My Salvi family ate a lot of seafood when I was growing up. My mother usually prepares this dish with a certain fish that we call mojarra, but if you can’t find mojarra in your area you can still enjoy this dish with: rainbow trout, tilapia, or snapper. Here’s how…

I had the most fun sharing this recipe with Food & Wine Magazine! View the article and video for this recipe here.

Recipe Info

Total Time- 20 mins Servings- 4

Active Time- 20 mins

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt

• 4 (10- to 12-ounce)s whole trout, cleaned and skin scored

• ¼ cup yellow mustard

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• ½ medium-size red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• Lime wedges, rice, and salad, for serving

Directions

1. Rub 1 1/2 teaspoons salt evenly over outside and inside of each fish. Stir together mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Spread evenly over outside and inside of each fish, covering completely.  

2. Stuff cavities of fish evenly with onion slices. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high to 350°F. Carefully place 2 fish in hot oil, and cook until skin is browned and crispy, about 4 minutes. Flip fish, and cook just until flesh is white throughout, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining 2 fish. 

3. Serve fish with lime wedges, rice, and salad.

Storage

This dish is enjoyed best hot straight from the pan. My mother would fry maybe two fish at a time, and directly serve each fish to two people, then fry two more fish, and so-on. I would not store this dish for later.