Fried Whole Fish with Tomatillo Sauce Recipe

Fried Whole Fish with Tomatillo Sauce

Crispy, flaky deliciousness

A perfect meal after a good morning spent fishing. Think of this as a sort of build-yourself fish taco plate. Break open that crispy skin and flake some generous pieces of fish into your tortilla and mop it up with some delicious tangy sauce.

---

Ingredients

1 bunch cilantro

8 ounces tomatillos | husks removed, rinsed, coarsely chopped

¼ cup pickled jalapeños, plus 1 tablespoon (or more) brine from the jar

Kosher salt

3 cups vegetable oil

1 1½–2-pound whole fish | cleaned

Warm tortillas (for serving)

---

Instructions

Step 1

Separate the leaves from the stems of the cilantro. Coarsely chop about ½ cup worth of stems and place into 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.

Step 2

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high. Transfer the 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 the fish generously inside and out with salt.

Step 3

When the oil is hot, grip the fish firmly by the tail and carefully lower, head first, into the skillet. Fry until the flesh on the bottom side is cooked through and the skin is deeply browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Use tongs and a fish spatula to carefully turn the fish over. Fry until the flesh on the second side is cooked through and the skin is deeply browned and crisp, about 4 more minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and season both sides with more salt.

Step 4

Pour the tomatillo sauce onto a rimmed platter and gently place fish on top. Serve immediately with a side of tortillas. Enjoy.