Cooking Corner

Crunchy Fish Filet with a Light Sweet & Sour Sauce

By Paul Rees

(Serves 2) 

Ingredients 

For the Sauce

  • 1 C sugar
  • ½ C water
  • ½ C vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 Tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 ½ tsp srirachi or chilero
  • 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
  • ¼ C carrot, julienne or grated  

For the Fish

  • 600 gm fish filet with skin (salmon, trout & mackerel work well)
  • ¼ C flour
  • ¼ C cornmeal (sold as Instant Polenta in Supermas)
  • ¼ C panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water & ¼ tsp salt
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil if needed
  • ¼ C chopped culantro or cilantro 

Directions 

For the Sauce 

  1. Boil the sugar, water & vinegar for 5 minutes.
  2. Reduce the heat & stir in garlic, fish sauce & srirachi. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature & add the lime juice & carrot. 

This sauce is supposed to keep for several months refrigerated in a sealed container, but in our house it’s never around more than a couple of weeks. 

For the Fish 

  1. Cut the fish across the width into 1 ½  – 2 inch strips (about 6 pieces).
  2. Lightly season both sides with salt & pepper.
  3. Spread the flour, cornmeal & Panko in 3 separate pie plates or dishes.
  4. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, be careful not to brown it.
  5. Dust the fish pieces with the flour & shake off the excess.
  6. Dip the fish into the egg to cover entirely.
  7. Place the fish skin-side down in the cornmeal & press gently.
  8. Then place the fish flesh-side down in the Panko & press gently.
  9. Place the fish skin-side down in the frying pan & press gently so the entire skin makes contact with the surface of the pan. Cook for 5 minutes. The fish will be cooked almost completely through.
  10. Add more vegetable oil if needed. Gently turn the fish over & cook for 15 to 20 seconds, just to brown the Panko.
  11. Plate the fish skin-side down, pour a few spoonfuls of sauce over it & garnish with culantro.
  12. Serve with steamed broccoli & tiquisque fritos (recipe here).