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Huachinango (Fried Branzino)
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Prep
20 minutes (plus overnight brine)
Cook
15 minutes
Total
35 min
Serves
1 plate
Crispy skin, flaky fish, and a charred lime, whole fried branzino is one of those plates that lands on the table and people stop talking. The brine the night before is what makes the difference between good and great.
Ingredients
- 1 whole branzino (450–900g / 1–2 lb), scored, brined, and dried
- 85g (3 oz) house fry dredge (see recipe)
- 1 lime, halved and grilled
- 115g (4 oz) pee wee potatoes, sliced and cooked
- 1 tbsp chipotle puree
- 30g (1 oz) red onion escabeche (see recipe)
- 15g (0.5 oz) radish, sliced
- 1 sprig cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- 1The night before: brine the whole branzino in a salt-water solution (about 60g salt per 1 L water) for at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove, pat completely dry, and refrigerate uncovered.
- 2Score the fish with 3–4 diagonal cuts on each side, cutting to the bone.
- 3Dredge the whole fish in the fry mix, pressing it into the scores and cavity.
- 4Deep fry at 180 °C (350 °F) for 8–10 minutes, turning once, until the skin is crackly and golden all over.
- 5In a separate pan, sauté the pee wee potato slices in oil until crispy. Toss with chipotle puree.
- 6Plate the fish whole. Arrange chipotle potatoes around it.
- 7Add escabeche and radish slices. Garnish with cilantro and grilled lime.
Cook's Note
The fish has to be fully dry before it goes in the dredge, any moisture makes the coating steam instead of fry, and you lose the crunch. Pat it aggressively before dredging, especially inside the scores. The brining overnight also does most of the seasoning work so you don't need much salt at the end.
Best Served With
Grilled lime and a cold Mexican lager. The chipotle potatoes alongside are part of the plate.
Why This Recipe Works
Scoring the fish all the way to the bone lets the dredge get into the flesh, which means seasoning and crunch all the way through, not just on the surface. Frying whole keeps the fish moist inside because the bones and skin act as a shield while the outside gets crispy.
Make It Yours
- Serve with a side of habanero salsa or avocado salsa instead of chipotle puree
- Add tomatillo salsa over the top for a green version
- Swap branzino for whole red snapper (the name 'huachinango' actually means red snapper)
- Squeeze the grilled lime over the whole fish at the table
Leftover Strategy
Fried whole fish doesn't keep well. Eat the day it's made. If there's leftover flesh, flake it off the bones and use in fish tacos the next day.
Want to impress guests with this dish? Ask Jeff →
Pairing
A cold light lager or a citrusy white wine like Albariño. The brightness offsets the fried richness.
