Fried Fish Andalusian-Style (Pescaíto Frito)

La storia di questo piatto

Pescaíto frito is the golden everyday song of Cádiz, where the Atlantic meets the Andalusian table in a paper cone or on a shared plate. Small fish and tender squid rings, dusted in wheat flour and fried until they crackle, taste of the sea and of plain, generous hospitality.

Ingredienti

• 300 g Fresh anchovies (boquerones), small
• 200 g Red mullet or small snapper fillets
• 300 g Cleaned squid, cut into rings
• 120 g Soft wheat flour (frying flour type)
• 40 g Durum wheat semolina
• 10 g Coarse sea salt
• 100 ml Cold water (just to dampen the fish)
• 1.5 litre Olive oil (not premium extra virgin) for frying, in a wide 24 cm pot
• 2 pieces Lemon

Preparazione

1. Begin cleaning your small fish with care: remove heads and innards using your fingers, then butterfly open the anchovies and gently pull away the central spine with a decisive yet gentle motion. The mullet should not be opened—simply gut them and fry whole so they stay beautifully firm. Rinse the fish and squid together under a trickle of cold water, then drain thoroughly in a colander.
2. Pat the fish and squid with kitchen paper until just barely damp to the touch, never wet: excess water is the enemy of crispy frying. Do not squeeze the squid, which should remain tender. Remember this small secret: if fish and squid carry too much water, the oil splatters and the coating becomes soft instead of crispy.
3. In a deep bowl, combine the soft wheat flour with the semolina and a scant teaspoon of coarse sea salt (about 3 g, taken from the 10 g total), mixing with your hands until the colour is uniform and you feel no lumps beneath your fingers. Set aside the remaining 7 g of coarse salt—you'll need it only at the end, once the fish is already golden and fragrant.
4. Pour the oil into a wide, high-sided pot to a depth of 8–10 centimetres and heat over medium-high heat. If you have a thermometer, aim for 180 degrees; otherwise, drop a bread cube into the oil—if it browns in about thirty seconds, you've reached the right temperature. If you see smoke rising, remove the pot from heat immediately and let it rest for a few minutes before trying again. Note: excess oil, once cooking is done, can be strained and reused for other frying.
5. Fry the fish first, a few pieces at a time, so the oil doesn't cool down and the fry stays light. Coat anchovies and mullet in flour only moments before lowering them into the pan: if you leave flour on damp fish too long it becomes pasty and loses its lightness. Dust the barely damp pieces in flour, shake off excess in a colander, and lower them straight into the bubbling oil. Small fish need 2–3 minutes to turn a light golden brown and crispy to the touch.
6. Proceed the same way with the squid rings, flouring them only at the last moment and shaking off excess: they need just 1.5–2 minutes of cooking, no more, or they become rubbery.
7. Lift the fried fish with a skimmer, give it a gentle shake over the pot to let excess oil drain away, and place it on a plate lined with kitchen paper. While still hot, scatter the 7 g of reserved coarse salt over it: the heat helps it stick properly and the flavour stays vibrant until the last bite.
8. Warm your serving plate under hot water and dry it carefully, so the fried fish won't cool down the moment you serve it. Arrange the fish on the plate and surround it with lemon halves, then bring everything to the table without delay. The secret to great fried fish is eating it at once, squeezing the lemon only at the last moment, while it's still hot and crispy.