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Bajan fish cutter
Cutter: fried flying fish in a salt bread roll with pepper sauce
Around Barbados a "cutter" is any sandwich in a salt bread roll, and the fish cutter is the lunch people queue for at beach bars from Oistins to Bathsheba: a piece of flying fish (or mahi-mahi, called dolphin locally) seasoned with Bajan seasoning, crumbed, fried crisp and stuffed into a split roll with lettuce, tomato and a dab of fiery yellow pepper sauce. The fish should be juicy and the crust shattering. The usual mistake is frying too cool, which makes the coating greasy; keep the oil hot and fry in small batches. Use flying fish fillets if you can find them frozen, or any thin white fish. Chef's tip: rub a little of the frying oil over the cut sides of the rolls and toast them in a dry pan, so the bread doesn't go soggy under the fish.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb flying fish or mahi-mahi filletsskinless, cut into 4 pieces
- 1 limejuiced
- 2 tbsp Bajan seasoninghomemade green herb seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ¾ oz plain flour
- 1 eggbeaten
- 2 ⅞ oz dried breadcrumbs
- ¾ cup vegetable oilfor shallow frying
- 4 salt bread rollsor crusty white rolls, split
- 1 tomatosliced
- 4 tsp Bajan pepper sauceto taste
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rub 1 ⅛ lb flying fish or mahi-mahi fillets with 1 lime, 2 tbsp Bajan seasoning and ½ tsp salt and leave in the fridge for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Set out three plates: 1 ¾ oz plain flour, 1 egg and 2 ⅞ oz dried breadcrumbs. Dip each piece of fish in flour, then egg, then press into the crumbs.
Step 3: Heat ¾ cup vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat until a crumb sizzles at once. Fry the fish for 2–3 minutes a side, until deep golden and the flesh is opaque and flakes easily in the centre. Drain on kitchen paper.
6 minStep 4: Toast the cut sides of 4 salt bread rolls briefly in a dry pan.
2 minStep 5: Fill each roll with 4 lettuce leaves, 1 tomato and a piece of fish, add 4 tsp Bajan pepper sauce and eat straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 31 g
- Carbs
- 47 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bajan fish cutter take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 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 lime?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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