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1
Season and Dust the Fish
5 Mins • Dredging
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Season the fish fillets with half the salt and a little pepper. Press each fillet into the flour, turning once so both sides are lightly coated, then shake off the excess. A thin, even coat crisps; a thick coat turns gummy and falls off in the sauce.
Coat just before frying — a coating that sits too long absorbs moisture and goes soft.
Done when: Each fillet is evenly dusted with a thin, dry coat.
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2
Fry the Fish Golden
10 Mins • Frying
Oil at 175–180°C (350°F); fish cooked to 63°C (145°F) inside
Heat the vegetable oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 175–180°C (350°F). Lay the fillets in away from you and fry for 3–4 minutes a side, without moving them, until deep golden and crisp. Check the thickest part reaches 63°C (145°F). Lift onto a wire rack and keep warm.
Do not crowd the pan — fry in two batches if needed, or the oil cools and the crust goes soggy.
Done when: Deep golden crust all over; flesh opaque and flaking, 63°C (145°F) at the thickest part.
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3
Build the Spicy Tomato Base
10 Mins • Simmering
Medium heat, simmering, about 95°C (200°F)
Wipe the pan, add the olive oil, and soften the onion over medium heat for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, then stir in the chopped tomato and the aji amarillo paste. Pour in the white wine, scrape up the browned bits, and simmer for 5 minutes until the tomato breaks down and the sauce thickens slightly.
Let the tomato truly break down — a watery sauce will slide off the fish instead of coating it.
Done when: Tomato softened into a thick, orange sauce; raw wine smell gone.
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4
Add the Seafood and Cream
5 Mins • Simmering
Gentle simmer, about 85°C (185°F)
Stir in the evaporated milk and bring to a gentle simmer — never a hard boil, or the milk can split. Add the prawns, mussels and squid rings and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring gently, until the prawns turn pink, the squid is just opaque, and the sauce is creamy and orange. Season with the remaining salt and taste: add a little more aji paste if you want it hotter.
Squid turns rubbery in seconds past done — as soon as it is opaque, take the pan off the heat.
Done when: Prawns pink and curled; squid opaque and tender; sauce thick and creamy.
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5
Return the Fish and Serve
2 Mins • Plating
Serve hot, above 60°C (140°F)
Slide the fried fish fillets back into the pan and spoon the sauce over them for 1 minute, just to warm them through without soaking the crust. Serve at once on warm plates with white rice, a scatter of parsley, and lime wedges.
One minute in the sauce is enough — any longer and the fried crust goes soft.
Done when: Fish hot through, coated in sauce but still crisp at the edges.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Spoon the fish onto warm plates, ladle the seafood sauce generously over the top, and serve at once with white rice and lime wedges. The sauce should be spooned over the fish, never under it, so the fried crust keeps a little of its bite.
Peru
35m
