Fried fish recipe with patacones and sauce

Fish-based recipes are consumed all year round, especially in coastal areas. However, during Holy Week the whole country focuses its diet on maritime products. One way to taste fish, very popular during the Greater Week and even the rest of the year, is fried fish.

This dish is refreshing, nutritious, and healthy and… Very tasty! Fried fish with patacones and sauce is another hallmark of Venezuelan gastronomy. This tropical recipe has a variation on the traditional one, since it is tasted with a guava sauce that gives it a more exotic touch.

Ingredients to make Fried fish with patacones and sauce:

• Fish marinade:
• 75 milliliters of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon garlic
• 1 tablespoon ginger
• 2 lemons (the juice)
• 2 serrano chills or chili peppers
• guava willow:
• 5 guavas
• 2 limes or lemons (the juice)
• 1 cup of pineapple (the juice)
• 1 large onion
• ½ cup sake
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of pepper
• 75 milliliters of canola oil
• Fried fish:
• 75 milliliters of canola oil or vegetable oil
• 1 pinch of pink salt (sea salt works well)
• 3 tablespoons corn (or rice) flour
• Petacones:
• 3 bananas
• 1 dash of canola oil or vegetable oil

How to make Fried fish with patacones and sauce:

1. Wash the fish under the tap a little. Then, remove the scales and guts from the animal.
2. Use a container to prepare the fish marinade. To do this, add the soy sauce, the garlic, the ginger, the juice of 2 lemons and the chili. Then, introduce the fish and completely impregnate with the preparation. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Trick: Garlic, ginger and chili must be chopped very finely.
4. Cut the guava into four parts and the onion into squares. Also, she squeezes the juice from the lemons.
5. Heat a skillet with canola oil over high heat. Add the onions and caramelize.
6. Immediately afterwards, add the guavas and the sake. Wait until the sauce is consumed and reduced by half to continue with the recipe for fried fish with patacones and sauce. At that time add the lime and pineapple juices. Cook again until its volume is reduced by half and remove from the heat.
7. Blend the mixture until smooth and gradually add the oil (macadamia or canola). Season and check the taste. Blend again and reserve.
8. Strain the resulting mixture to remove the seeds. Reserve the sauce and continue with the recipe for fried fish with patacones.
9. Wash the banana, cut the ends (the trunks) and the middle line, slowly lifting the banana shell from the inside with the knife. Finish removing the shell with your hands and discard.
10. Cut the banana into slices to make the patacones that will accompany the fried fish.
11. Heat a frying pan or cauldron with oil to fry the plantains. The amount of oil will depend on whether your pan is non-stick or not.
12. Use a zippered bag and cut out 3 sides, including the zipper. Place each banana in the middle and cover it with the plastic.
13. Trick: You can use any bag that you consider useful for this task.
14. Smash the fried plantain with a wooden board or flat plate. The banana should look like a disk, although it doesn’t matter if it’s irregular.
15. Fry the banana slices again, now with a new appearance. Add more oil if you consider it necessary. Once the patacones are ready, you can add a pinch of salt, if you prefer.
16. Take the fish out of the marinade, drain a little and coat it with rice or corn flour on both sides.
17. Heat the oil in the pan and fry the fish. Cook 5 minutes on each side.
18. The fried fish with patacones and sauce has an aromatic fruity touch reminiscent of the Caribbean, an irresistible flavor! The combination of salty-sweet flavors, characteristic of the Venezuelan culinary essence, finds a worthy representation in this recipe.