Mojarra frita – fried whole tilapia with rice and salad

Ingredients for 4 portions

• 4Whole tilapia, gutted and scaled
• 4 clovesGarlic, crushed
• 2Limes, juiced
• to tasteSalt
• to tasteBlack pepper
• 4 tbspPlain flour
• 5 tbspRapeseed oil, for frying

On the side

• 250 gRice, long-grain
• 1 tbspRapeseed oil, for the rice
• ½Yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 cloveGarlic, finely chopped
• ≈ 550 mlWater, hot
• 1 cubeChicken stock
• ½Lettuce, shredded
• 2Tomatoes, sliced
• 1Avocado, sliced
• 2Limes, in wedges
• 8Corn tortillas
• to tasteHot pepper sauce

Method

1. Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold water until the water runs almost clear, then drain well.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and fry the rice, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, until opaque white. Stir in the chopped onion and garlic and fry for 1 minute more.
3. Pour in the hot water, crumble in the stock cube and add salt. When it boils, cover, turn the heat right down and cook for 18 minutes without lifting the lid. Turn off the heat and leave the rice covered.
4. Meanwhile, pat the fish dry with kitchen paper and make 3 diagonal cuts on each side. Rub them inside and out with the crushed garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper.
5. Make the salad: shred the lettuce, slice the tomatoes and avocado and cut the limes into wedges.
6. Dust the fish with flour on both sides and shake off the excess.
7. Heat plenty of oil, about 1.5 cm deep, in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the fish two at a time for about 5 minutes per side, until golden and crisp and the flesh comes away from the bone. Drain on kitchen paper.
8. Warm the tortillas in a dry frying pan. Serve one fish per person with the rice, salad, lime wedges, tortillas and hot sauce to taste.

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