Chef notes
This recipe is near and dear to my heart because I grew up going to Acapulco, Mexico with my grandfather, and we used to eat these pescadillas for lunch by the beach, so I think of him every time I make them.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped white onion
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 pound fluke or flounder
- 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño
- 1 cup chopped plum tomatoes
- salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 3 plum tomatoes, cut in half
- 1/2 white onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2-3 jalapeños
- 1/2 cup sherry vinegar
- salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 6 corn tortillas
- 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 avocado, cut into slices
- 2 tablespoons queso fresco
Preparation
For the pescadilla:
In a Dutch oven over medium heat, drizzle the olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic until tender, stirring occasionally. Add the fish and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, add jalapeño and tomatoes, season with salt and cover to simmer over a lower heat for 5 minutes. Check the seasoning, add the chopped cilantro and set aside to cool.
For the charred tomato salsa:
In the meantime, heat a nonstick sauté pan on high heat and char the tomatoes, onion, garlic and jalapeños until tender and blackened.
In a food processor, add the charred ingredients for the salsa and pulse with the vinegar, salt and cilantro until the salsa is chunky.
To assemble:
1.In a nonstick sauté pan, warm the corn tortillas over medium heat.
2.Fill the tortillas with 1 generous tablespoon of the pescadilla and fold it in half. Insert a bamboo skewer or a toothpick in the tortilla to prevent it from unfolding while being fried.
3.Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch pan or cast-iron skillet. When the oil is hot and registers at 350 F on a thermometer, add the pescadillas. Fry for about 2 to 3 minutes, until they are golden brown on each side. Prepare a sheet pan with paper towels to drain oil excess and place the pescadillas on top.
4.Serve the pescadillas on a platter, and top with charred tomato salsa, sliced avocado and sprinkled with queso fresco.
