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Bake and shark
Maracas Bay's fried fish in fluffy fried bake, with chadon beni sauce and all the toppings
After a swim at Maracas Bay on Trinidad's north coast, the queue at the beach huts is for bake and shark: a puffy fried bread split open around a piece of seasoned, crisp-fried fish, then loaded at a toppings bar with coleslaw, cucumber, pineapple, tamarind sauce, pepper sauce and the bright green chadon beni (culantro) sauce. Shark is the tradition, but many shark species are now overfished and some build up mercury, so this recipe uses a firm, sustainably caught white fish such as hake, pollock, catfish or mahi-mahi; use shark only from a source you trust. Chef's tip: let the bake dough rest for a full 30 minutes; relaxed dough puffs up like a pillow in the hot oil instead of frying flat and tough.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
For the bakes
For the chadon beni sauce
To serve
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Rub 1 ⅓ lb firm white fish fillets (hake, pollock, catfish or mahi-mahi) with 1 lime juice, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp chadon beni (culantro) or coriander, 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves and ½ tsp salt. Cover and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
30 minStep 2: Meanwhile, make the bakes. Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Add ¾ cup lukewarm water little by little and knead for 3–4 minutes into a soft, smooth dough that doesn't stick.
5 minStep 3: Divide into 4 balls, brush with a little of the 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil, cover with a cloth and rest for 30 minutes. Common mistake: skipping the rest; tight dough fries flat and chewy instead of puffing.
30 minStep 4: Blitz 1 oz chadon beni (culantro) or coriander, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp lime juice, ¼ cup water and a pinch of salt in a blender until smooth and bright green. Set aside.
3 minStep 5: Heat the rest of the oil in a deep, heavy pan to 350°F/350 °F (a cube of bread browns in 45 seconds). Never fill the pan more than a third full.
8 minStep 6: Roll or pat each ball into a 14 cm round about 5 mm thick. Fry one at a time for 1–2 minutes per side, spooning oil over the top, until puffed and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
8 minStep 7: Mix 2 ⅞ oz plain flour, 1 tsp paprika and ½ tsp ground black pepper on a plate. Coat each piece of fish, shaking off the excess.
2 minStep 8: Fry the fish in the same oil for 4–5 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp outside and opaque and flaking easily in the middle. Drain on kitchen paper.
5 minStep 9: Split each bake open like a pocket, tuck in a piece of fish and let everyone add 5 ½ oz shredded lettuce or coleslaw, 1 tomato, ½ cucumber, 4 slices fresh pineapple, chadon beni sauce, 4 tbsp tamarind sauce and 2 tbsp hot pepper sauce.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 78 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bake and shark take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 40 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.
- What can I use instead of lime?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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