Peruvian
SpicyPescado a lo macho
Fried fish in spicy seafood sauce
Pescado a lo macho: Lima's crisp fried fish under a fiery, creamy ají and mixed seafood sauce
Pescado a lo macho is a classic of Lima's seafood restaurants, the dish people order for a long Sunday lunch near the sea in Chorrillos: a fillet of fried white fish smothered in a thick, spicy sauce of ají panca and ají amarillo packed with prawns, squid and mussels. The name boasts that you need to be brave for the chilli, but you can turn it down. The common mistake is overcooking the seafood while the sauce reduces; add it only when the sauce is already thick. Discard mussels that are open and do not close when tapped, and any that stay shut after cooking. Chef's tip: dust the fish in flour seasoned with cumin and fry it last, so it reaches the table crisp under the sauce.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 610 kcal
Ingredients
For the fish
- 4 white fish fillets (hake, sea bass or cod)about 160 g each, skinless
- 1 ¾ oz plain flour
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 red onionfinely chopped
- 4 garliccloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp ají panca paste
- 2 tbsp ají amarillo paste
- ½ cup dry white wineor fish stock
- 1 cup fish stock
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 14 oz fresh musselsscrubbed and debearded
- 7 oz raw peeled prawns
- 7 oz cleaned squidcut into rings
- 3 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
To serve
- 10 ½ oz long-grain white ricecooked
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Check 14 oz fresh mussels: throw away any that are open and do not close when tapped, or have broken shells.
Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Fry 1 red onion and 4 garlic for 6 minutes until soft.
6 minStep 3: Stir in 2 tbsp ají panca paste and 2 tbsp ají amarillo paste and fry for 2 minutes. Add ½ cup dry white wine and bubble for 2 minutes; most of the alcohol cooks off, or use extra stock for an alcohol-free sauce.
4 minStep 4: Add 1 cup fish stock and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in ½ cup evaporated milk on a low heat.
5 minStep 5: Add 14 oz fresh mussels, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add 7 oz raw peeled prawns and 7 oz cleaned squid and cook for 2–3 minutes more, until the mussels have opened, the prawns are pink and opaque and the squid is white. Discard any mussels that stay closed. Stir in 3 tbsp fresh coriander and keep warm.
6 minStep 6: Mix 1 ¾ oz plain flour, ½ tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp salt on a plate. Pat 4 white fish fillets (hake, sea bass or cod) dry and dust both sides.
Step 7: Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the fish for 3 minutes each side, until golden and crisp and the flesh is opaque and flakes easily at the thickest part.
6 minStep 8: Put each fillet on a plate, spoon the seafood sauce over and serve with 10 ½ oz long-grain white rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 610 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pescado a lo macho take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 30 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 very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of ground cumin?
- Cumin seeds, toasted and ground.
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