Fish curd is a very popular dish, especially the famous “Pastel de Chucho” which is a stingray fish curd. A fish cake is nothing more than a delicious tortilla or cake, with the difference that it contains fish and… bananas!
You can imagine it, the sweet flavor of ripe plantain combined with salty fish. Yes, those are the flavors of the Caribbean. The fish commonly used in this recipe is salted fish; however you can prepare any without salting. I used this time bonito salty, but you can vary this ingredient to taste.
There are several variations of this dish, including the best known that adds potatoes to the ingredients; however the original recipe contains maguey or white yam. It is said that the purple touch of the yam, in the saucer, brings honor to the Nazarene.
Another variation in the recipe consists of the way of cooking. There are people who prefer to bake it, placing the preparation at 175ºC for 1 hour. As with cakes or biscuits, the toothpick test is done and if it comes out dry, the fish cake is ready.
The fish and banana cake is native to the East of Venezuela but is well known throughout the country during the Holy Week season. During the Lenten season, food is highly respected and red meat is avoided, which is why seafood is the favorite option. The perfect excuse to enjoy a delicious dish from the coasts.
Now, we brings you this healthy and energetic recipe for Venezuelan fish curd which you can combine with rice and beans. Rest assured that… you will love it!
Ingredients to make Banana Fish Cake:
- 2 kilograms of salty tuna
- 9 Sweet Pepper
- ½ onion
- 200 grams of parsley
- 6 eggs
- 1½ ripe bananas
- 200 milliliters of vegetable oil
- 1 pinch of Pepper
How to make Banana Fish Cake:
- Leave the fish soaking overnight before preparation. The next day discard that water and place the fish in a pot.
- This procedure is carried out to desalt the fish and is also done when working with dogfish or cured cod.
- Boil the fish for 1 or 2 hours, the cooking time will depend on whether it is sufficiently salted and tender.
- Taste the fish every half hour to check its flavor. If the water level drops a lot during cooking and the fish is still too salty, add more water.
- Trick: Place water whenever necessary, until the fish is desalinated.
- Once the fish is salted and cooked, remove from the heat, drain the water and let it cool. Then, remove the bones and skin, keeping only the lean meat of the fish.
- Then, shred the meat leaving all the fish in fine threads as seen in the photo.
- On the other hand, wash all the vegetables. Next, chop the chili peppers and remove the seeds, also cut the rest of the vegetables into julienne strips.
- To make the filling for our fish cake we will use a large cauldron. Place the fish inside along with the vegetables, pour the oil and mix well. Cook the filling over low heat for about 30 minutes.
- Remember that the fish does not need much cooking, since we already cooked it previously. Season with a pinch of pepper to taste.
- Trick: The oil prevents the fish from sticking during cooking.
- On the other hand, we are going to heat oil in another pan to fry the sliced banana. Fry everything over medium heat for about 2 minutes on both sides.
- Tip: Remember to watch out for the plantain slices, as they cook quickly and can burn if you neglect them.
- Separate the yolk from the white of the 5 eggs and reserve both.
- Beat the reserved whites, until reaching the point of snow, so the tortilla will grow more. Apart, also beat the yolks and reserve.
- Rub the surface of a skillet with an oil-dampened napkin and heat over medium heat. Then, she pours in the whipped whites and waits for it to cook down a bit. Then, place a layer of fish on top of the white egg and another layer of banana on top.
- Pour the yolks over the plantains and fish. Cover with a lid so that the tortilla acquires body and cook for 10 minutes.
- After the time is over, remove from the heat and wait for the fish cake to cool down a bit. To unmold, place a large flat plate on top of the pan and turn carefully.
- Fish and plantain cake can be served with some white rice and black or red beans. This recipe is an excellent source of protein, vitamins and minerals. Go ahead and prepare this exquisite culinary option
