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Pan con minuta
Pan con minuta: crisp battered fish fillet in a soft roll with lime and raw onion, Havana style
Minuta is what Cubans call a quick-fried fish fillet, cooked "in a minute" while you wait, and in a soft roll it becomes one of Havana's simplest street lunches. Look for it at kiosks along the Malecón near La Punta and in the fishing village of Cojímar, east of the city, where small boats bring in snapper. The fish is marinated briefly in lime and garlic, dipped in a light batter and fried until the crust crackles, then tucked into bread with sharp raw onion and another squeeze of lime. Chef's tip: keep the lime marinade short; after 15 minutes the acid starts to turn the fish chalky.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 4 skinless white fish fillets (snapper, hake or cod)about 120 g each
- 2 limes1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges
- 1 garlic clovecrushed
- ½ tsp salt
For the batter
- 3 ½ oz plain flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ cup ice-cold water
- 1 litre vegetable oil for deep-fryingabout
To serve
- 1 white onionsmall, sliced into thin rings
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Toss 4 skinless white fish fillets (snapper, hake or cod) with the juice from half of 2 limes, 1 garlic clove and ½ tsp salt. Cover and leave in the fridge for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Whisk 3 ½ oz plain flour, ½ tsp baking powder and ¾ cup ice-cold water into a smooth batter about as thick as double cream.
2 minStep 3: Heat 1 litre vegetable oil for deep-frying in a deep, heavy pan to 350°F. Pour in no more than a third of the pan's depth, and check the heat with a thermometer or drop in a cube of bread: it should brown in about 60 seconds. Never leave the hot oil unattended.
6 minStep 4: Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper, dip each fillet in the batter and let the excess drip off, then lower it gently into the oil away from you.
2 minStep 5: Fry two pieces at a time for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until the batter is deep golden and the fish is opaque and flakes easily in the thickest part. Common mistake: crowding the pan; the oil cools and the batter turns greasy instead of crisp.
8 minStep 6: Lift out onto a rack over kitchen paper and bring the oil back to 350°F before frying the next batch.
2 minStep 7: Split 4 soft white bread rolls (dairy free), lay in the hot fish, add 1 white onion and squeeze over the rest of the lime. Eat at once.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pan con minuta take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 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 limes?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic clove?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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