Fried Or Grilled Fish With Tomatillo Sauce Recipes

FRIED WHOLE FISH WITH TOMATILLO SAUCE

Steps:

• Trim cilantro at the point where it becomes more stem-y than leafy; set leaves with tender stems aside for serving. Coarsely chop about 1/2 cup worth of stems and place in a blender along with tomatillos, pickled jalapeños, and pickling liquid. Purée until smooth; taste and season sauce with salt and more pickling liquid if desired.
• Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high. Transfer fish to a cutting board and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. With a sharp knife, make slashes crosswise on a diagonal along the body of the fish every 2" on both sides, cutting all the way down to the bone. Season fish generously inside and out with salt.
• When the oil is hot-it should be shimmering, and when you drop a small piece of tortilla into the oil it should begin sizzling immediately-grip the fish firmly by the tail and carefully lower, head first, into skillet, making sure to lay it down away from you. (If the tail sticks out of the pan a bit, it's not a huge deal.) Fry until flesh on bottom side is cooked through and skin is deeply browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. While the fish is frying, use a metal spoon to baste the inside of the fish's head with a bit of hot oil periodically. Use tongs and a fish spatula to carefully turn fish over. Fry until flesh on second side is cooked through and skin is deeply browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and season both sides with more salt.
• Pour tomatillo sauce onto a rimmed platter and gently place fish on top. Tuck reserved cilantro into the cavity between the fish's head and body and around the fish. Serve with tortillas.

GRILLED TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Prepare a grill over medium heat.
• Put the tomatillos, onion and garlic on the grill (put the garlic on a metal skewer or small piece of aluminum foil to keep it from slipping through the grates.) Grill the vegetables, removing them as they are ready, until the tomatillos, turning as needed, are soft but not bursting, the onion is tender and the garlic skin is charred, 5 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly.
• Peel the garlic and put in a blender with the tomatillos, onion, cilantro, chipotle chile and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend until well incorporated but slightly chunky.

FRIED OR GRILLED FISH WITH TOMATILLO SAUCE

Steps:

• dip fish fillets (or chicken) in beaten egg and roll in Panko and seasoning pressing the panko into the fillets.
• fry till crisp and brown, drain on paper towel
• While you are frying the fillets dehusk and wash then quarter the fresh tomatillos, put in a sauce pan with the chicken stock and the jalapenos
• Cook the tomatillos until they are tender (it won't take as long with canned tomatillos) and the jalapeno is soft carefully remove from heat and pour into a blender reserving half the liquid in the pan.
• Put a towel over the lid of the blender and hold firm while blending. Add more liquid as needed till you have a pourable sauce but not a thin sauce.
• Add the lime juice a tablespoon at a time and taste after each addition until it has a bit of a tang and you can taste the lime juice.
• You can serve the fish laying side by side with a trickle of Tomatillo sauce straight down the middle or you can serve it on the side and let everyone add as they like it.

GRILLED SWORDFISH WITH TOMATILLO SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut the swordfish steaks in half. Wipe them dry with paper towels and coat them on both sides with the olive oil. Set aside.
• Make the sauce. Boil the garlic for 10 minutes. Peel the cloves, mash them and set aside. Chop the tomatillos coarsely and put them in a saucepan with the chilies, sugar, wine and vinegar. Cook until soft, stirring frequently. Add the garlic. Taste to see if more sugar or vinegar is needed and season with salt and pepper. Add the butter to thicken the sauce.
• Pour the sauce into a food processor with the garlic cloves and add the coriander leaves. Puree, taste and correct seasoning. Set aside.
• Preheat broiler or coals. Broil the fish steaks six inches from the heat for about five minutes on each side or until cooked. Meanwhile, reheat the sauce.
• To serve, pour some sauce on each of four individual plates. Put the steaks on top and sprinkle with coriander leaves.

OVEN-STEAMED COD OR MAHI MAHI IN GREEN TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Place the tomatillos in a saucepan, fill with water and bring to a simmer. Simmer 10 minutes. Drain and place in a blender. Add the chiles, chopped onion, garlic, salt and cilantro. Blend until smooth.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle in a drop of the tomatillo purée to test the heat. If it sizzles and sputters immediately, the oil is hot enough. Add the tomatillo purée, and stir constantly until it thickens and begins to stick to the pan, about 5 minutes. When you run your spoon down the middle of the pan it should leave a canal. Stir in the stock, bring to a simmer, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until it has reduced by about a quarter and coats the front and the back of a spoon like cream. Keep warm.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and oil the foil. Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper and lay on the foil. Place a pan of just boiled water on the floor of your oven and place the baking sheet with the fish in the oven on the middle rack. Bake 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets, until the fish is opaque on the surface and you can pull it apart with a fork. Remove from the heat, transfer to plates or a platter, and spoon on the sauce. Garnish with cilantro and lemon or lime wedges, and serve. You will have some sauce left over.

BASA FILLETS IN TOMATILLO SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the rice, water and bouillon in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes or until rice is tender and water has been absorbed. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring about 2 inches of water to a boil. Add jalapenos, and cook for 5 minutes, then add the tomatillos. Boil for 5 more minutes. Remove the tomatillos with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a blender. Add 1 clove of garlic, salt and 1 or 2 jalapenos. Puree until liquid, then taste, and blend in more jalapeno as desired. Set aside.
• Heat the corn oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and 1 clove of garlic; cook and stir until fragrant. Add the fish fillets, and cook for about 2 minutes per side. Pour in the tomatillo sauce, and mix in the cilantro and lime juice. Simmer for a few minutes, or place under a broiler until fish flakes easily with a fork.
• Serve fish immediately on a bed of rice. Spoon sauce over the top. Enjoy with your favorite ice cold beverage. Buen Apetito!

TOMATILLO-POACHED FISH WITH CILANTRO LIME RICE

Steps:

• Stir together the rice, 3 cups water, 1 tablespoon oil and a pinch of salt in a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until fluffy and tender, about 20 minutes.
• Bring a large straight-sided skillet or saute pan filled with water to a boil over high heat. Add the tomatillos and cook until softened and slightly pale, about 4 minutes. Drain the tomatillos and put in a blender along with the onion, 1 jalapeno, garlic, cilantro stems and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Put the lid on the blender, leaving one corner open. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters, and pulse until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour the tomatillo salsa back into the same skillet or saute pan and set over medium heat.
• Season the fish fillets on all sides with 2 teaspoons salt. Nestle the fish in the tomatillo salsa, cover and cook until the fish is opaque and there is no resistance when a paring knife is inserted, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Reserve 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves for garnish and chop the remaining cilantro leaves to yield 1/4 cup.
• When the rice is done, use a fork to fluff it, then stir in the lime zest, lime juice and the 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Keep warm.
• Generously coat a small saute pan with oil and heat over medium high until shimmering. Add a pinch of flour to the oil. If it sizzles, the oil is ready for frying. Line a small plate with paper towels.
• Thinly slice the 2 remaining jalapeños crosswise. Put the flour in a small bowl. Working in batches, coat the jalapeño slices in the flour, then fry on each side until the seeds are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes total. Transfer to the prepared plate and season with a pinch of salt.
• To serve, put a quarter of the rice on left side of a wide shallow bowl, spoon a quarter of the tomatillo salsa on the right side and use a spatula to carefully place 1 fish fillet on top. Repeat with the remaining rice, salsa and fish. Garnish with the reserved cilantro leaves and a fried jalapeño slices.