Andalusian Fried Fish in Chickpea Flour

La storia di questo piatto

Pescaíto Frito is the soul of Cádiz crystallized in golden batter — a port city's love letter to the Atlantic, where Phoenician merchants once traded salt and fishermen still sing to the sea at dawn. It belongs to the white-washed streets, the flamenco dust, the salt wind that never truly leaves your hair.

Ingredienti

• 500 g Small mixed fish (sea bass, sardines, anchovies)
• 300 g Cleaned squid cut into rings
• 200 g Chickpea flour
• 10 g Coarse sea salt
• 2 g Ground black pepper
• 1 liter Olive oil for frying
• 2 pieces Lemon
• 20 g Fresh parsley

Preparazione

1. Clean the small fish: take a sharp small knife and make a cut from the belly toward the tail, gently opening up the fish. Inside you'll find gray-reddish sacs (the entrails) and a thin dark membrane running along the backbone: remove all of these with your fingers or the tip of the knife, being careful not to tear the flesh. Rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. Now comes the most important step: dry each fish thoroughly both outside and inside the cavity with paper towels, pressing firmly and changing sheets if necessary. Moisture is your main enemy in frying: if the fish is wet, the oil will splatter and the coating won't be crispy. Don't rush through this step.
2. Take the squid rings that have been cut and blot them gently with paper towels. They should feel completely dry to the touch: run your finger across a ring and you shouldn't feel any moisture. If they're still wet, they'll splatter hot oil when they hit the pan and the coating won't become crispy.
3. In a deep bowl, pour the chickpea flour and add a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of black pepper. Mix well with a spoon or fork, using movements from bottom to top until you no longer see any white lumps of powder and the color is uniform throughout.
4. Pour the olive oil into a deep pot (it should reach approximately 3 to 4 inches in height) and turn the heat to medium-high. Wait for the oil to heat gradually. To check the temperature without a thermometer, take a wooden chopstick or wooden skewer and dip the tip into the oil: if small bubbles form immediately all around it (not large bubbles), the oil is ready (around 350°F). You'll also know it's at the right point from the sound: you'll hear a light, steady sizzling. If you smell a sharp odor or see smoke, the oil is too hot: remove the pot from the heat and wait a few minutes for it to cool down.
5. Prepare small portions of fish and squid: take one piece at a time and pass it through the chickpea flour, turning it well on all sides. Shake it well over the bowl to remove excess powder, otherwise it will burn in the pan. Immerse it in the hot oil and you'll immediately hear a lively sizzle: this sound tells you the piece is cooking at exactly the right moment. Watch the color shift from white to golden, then to deep golden. When the fish starts to float and the color is deep golden (after about 2-3 minutes), take a fork and press lightly on the fish: it should come away easily from the fork and feel crispy to the touch. If you press and it yields too much, it's not ready yet.
6. Remove the fried fish with a skimmer (that flat net strainer with a handle) and shake it gently over the pot to let the excess oil drain for 3-4 seconds. Place it immediately on paper towels spread out on a plate. While it's still steaming hot (this is the right moment), sprinkle with a pinch of coarse sea salt: the heat of the fish will make the salt adhere perfectly and the flavor will be much more intense compared to salt added when it's cold.
7. Take a serving plate and warm it first by running it under hot tap water, then dry it well. Transfer the hot fried fish to the plate, scatter the fresh parsley roughly chopped (large pieces, not powder) over the fish, add the lemon wedges cut in half around the fish. Serve immediately at the table: fried food is good only when it's still crispy, if you wait even 2 minutes it becomes soggy and you lose all the work you've done.