Andalusian Adobo Fried Fish

[Margi Cintrano]

Spanish Adobo Fried Fish ...

This is a typical Andalusian tapa which hails from the city of Sevilla in southwestern Spain.

Serves 4:

1 kilo of firm fresh swordfish or another white fish variety, for example: Grouper ( In Spain we use Tope Shark ).
4 cloves of crushed garlic
oregano
2 bay leaves
Smoked paprika sweet
Smoked paprika piquant
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Chickpea flour or Semolina flour
Olive Oil Salt and black pepper

A couple of hours before you make this tapa, a marinade preparation consisting of: lemon juice, bay leaves, oregano, paprika piquant and paprika sweet, salt and blk. pepper ...

Prepare a frying pan, with plenty of olive oil.

Remove fish from marinade and shake off excess liquid and then, coat in the chickpea flour ( it prevents the oil from penetrating into the fish ) and fry until golden.

Spritz with lemon and enjoy.

Margi Cintrano.

[salt and pepper]

Here in the USA, the Mako Shark is a good subsitute for the Tope and comes close to the taste of Swordfish. I'll have to try your recipe as it is posted. Thanks, Joe

[Margi Cintrano]

Thanks for lovely message. Yes, cool that you have a similar type of fish. This dish is called CAZÓN EN ADOBO in Spanish. Cazón is Tope Shark in English. Sword fish ( pez espada ) is another alternative ... or Grouper ( mero ).

Let me know how it turns out !

Thanks for message.
margi.

[buckytom]

ooh, i love andaluthian fith!



another great one, margi. thanks. do you find tope shark has an ammonia quality to it like many sharks? or is it cleaner, like swordfish?

[Margi Cintrano]

Good Afternoon Buckey,

Firstly, let me give you a little background on Tope Shark.

a) This white firm ( not fall apart ) yet, sort of like a luscious moist codfish interior, is a variety of fish which has selected its habitat:

in Cádiz, Andalusia, on the Atlantic Coast in South-Western Spain, close to Portugal. This fish is called CAZÓN in Spanish and it does not have the taste of shark nor swordfish.

b) I believe you could make adobo marinade with cod too ...

c) the key to this recipe is the FLOUR. If you dredge in Chickpea flour verses white all purpose style flour; the oil does NOT seep into the fish making it " too wet and too oily greasy " ...

d) This recipe had been given to me during a Chef Interview by a well known Spanish Chef and thus, it is a household tapa. We enjoy it tremendously.

e) One can serve it with dips --- for example: ali oli with sundried tomatoes, or ali oli with garlic dip or even mayonnaise or Tartar Sauce.
Also, a piquant Brava Sauce or Chili Pepper Sauce works too.

Thanks for your message.
Enjoy and let me know how it turns out.
Margi.

[Margi Cintrano]

Tope shark in Latin: Galeorhinus Galeus may or may not be Mako Shark.

Galician: cazón
Spanish: cazón
French: milandre
Portuguese: perna de moca
German: hundshai

I was going to suggest a few other firm white fishes for this recipe:

1) rudderfish ( USA ) or amberjack ( UK ) which is common near the Chesapeake, Maryland - Virginia area.
2) grouper
3) turbot ( though this can be pricey; and to note: Chef Heston Blumenthal uses Turbot in his fish and chips in Bray, England )
4) pescadilla which is Hake ( however, difficult to get in the USA zone )
5) ma hi - ma hi could work

The tope has a sand paper texture on the exterior and is plentiful in South America. Please note: there is not shark fin type texture nor taste.

MC.