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Central American-Style Fish Torta
If you are familiar with Mexican cuisine, you probably think of a sandwich made on a crusty bolillo roll with lettuce, tomato, onion and other trimmings. However, it is not true that this is the only kind of dish that may be referred to by this name.
Torta is a Spanish word, which can mean any of a number of things in the kitchen, ranging from the familiar Mexican sandwiches to a popular Spanish omelet (tortilla de papa), cakes and in the case of this recipe, a sort of fried corn patty filled with reconstituted salt fish served in a dish of chicken broth.
This particular fish torta recipe hails from Central America, with versions of the dish found in Nicaragua and El Salvador, among other countries. It is not quite the sandwich you may have had in mind, but once you try it for yourself, you will discover a little more of Latin America is striking culinary diversity.
Fish Torta In Chicken Broth
Ingredients -
1 pound dried fish
1 large or two small tomatoes, diced
˝ onion, chopped fine
1 tbsp green chili (canned green fresh Serrano are both fine - adjust to taste)
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Oil for frying
2 cups chicken broth, homemade or canned
1-2 tbsp all purpose flour
Cilantro, jalapeno and lemon or lime wedges, for garnish
For the dough:
1 cup all purpose flour
˝ yellow cornmeal or masa flour
2 tsp baking powder
˝ tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
˝ cup water
Preparation:
This is a dish which is best started well ahead of time (even the night before, if possible), so give yourself plenty of time to make this fish torta recipe. First things first: you will need to rehydrate the fish (cut it into manageable pieces first). Since most dried fish is salted, you'll want to give it at least a few hours time to soak or better yet, overnight, changing the water a few times to eliminate excess salt. Dry the fish well with kitchen towels once you are ready to begin cooking in earnest.
While your fish is rehydrating, you will have plenty of time to make your dough. This part is pretty easy - it is essentially a pizza dough, but with some of the all purpose flour substituted with cornmeal or corn flour, so proceed accordingly. Combine the dry ingredients, make a well in the center, add the oil and water, and knead well (about 7-8 minutes).
You can let the dough rest while you prepare the filling. In a skillet or saucepan, sauté the onion and chili peppers in oil until the onions are translucent, about three minutes, stirring regularly. Add the tomatoes and the reconstituted dried fish and cook, stirring regularly. In order to thicken the mixture, stir in flour a little at a time until the filling is no longer watery.
Wrap portions of the fish and vegetable mixture in the corn dough and fry in oil until golden brown (this should take a few minutes). Remove from oil carefully with a large slotted spoon and allow to drain briefly on paper towels before serving in a bowl of warm chicken broth, garnished with chopped cilantro and jalapeno and a lemon or lime wedge on the side.
(Serves 4)
Photo Description:
This is an entirely different kind of fish torta recipe than most people, even those who are relatively well versed in Mexican and central American cuisine are probably familiar with. However, the satisfying and savory tastes of the fish, chicken broth and tomatoes along with the kick of jalapeno peppers and cilantro makes for a dish which few people will be able to pass on, even if it's an entirely new combination of flavors. We all need to try something different in the kitchen from time to time and if you are looking for a new and exciting way to enjoy some familiar ingredients together, this unique fish torta recipe may fit the bill perfectly.
