Fried Fish with Coconut Rice
The Caribbean beach plate: whole crispy fried fish and arroz con coco made the real way, with coconut milk reduced to caramel before the rice goes in.
- prep
- 30 min
- cook
- 55 min
- total
- 1 h 25 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- medium
This is what lunch looks like on Colombia’s Caribbean coast: a whole fried fish, coconut rice and patacones, eaten with the sea in view.
The rice is the part worth learning. Real arroz con coco starts with titoté: coconut milk simmered down until the oil separates and the solids caramelize brown and sweet. The rice cooks in that. Skip the titoté and you have ordinary rice; make it and you understand the coast.
This plate is number 12 on our list of the top 20 famous Colombian foods.
method
Start the titoté: pour the coconut milk into a heavy pot and simmer over medium heat, stirring often, for 20 to 25 minutes. It will separate, the water will cook off, and the solids will fry in their own oil until golden brown. Scrape the bottom; those browned bits are the flavor.
Stir the sugar into the titoté, then add the rice, water, salt and raisins. Boil uncovered until the water drops to the level of the rice, then cover, turn the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.
While the rice cooks, cut three diagonal slashes into each side of the fish. Rub them inside and out with the garlic, lime juice, cumin, salt and pepper. Let them sit for 15 minutes.
Pat the fish completely dry. Heat oil to 180°C (350°F) in a deep wide pan.
Fry the fish one or two at a time for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until deep golden with crisp skin. Drain on a rack.
Serve each fish over coconut rice with lime wedges, and patacones if you are doing it properly.
chef's tips
- Do not rush the titoté. Pale coconut milk makes bland rice; the browned solids are the whole dish.
- Dry fish and hot oil are what keep the skin from sticking and tearing.
- Mojarra is traditional, but any whole white fish that fits your pan works.