Pan con Pejerrey Fried Fish Sandwich
A popular Peruvian street-breakfast sandwich featuring small whole fish (smelt or silver smelts) pan-fried until crispy and tucked into a crusty roll with salsa criolla and aji amarillo mayo.
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh or frozen smelt (thawed), cleaned, dried
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 small Roma tomato, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tsp aji amarillo paste (or hot sauce)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 4 crusty sandwich rolls, split
Instructions
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1
Pat 1 lb cleaned, dried fresh or frozen smelt (thawed) thoroughly dry. In a shallow dish, mix 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and 1/2 tsp ground cumin.
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2
Make the aji mayo: stir 2 tsp aji amarillo paste (or hot sauce) into 1/4 cup mayonnaise and set aside.
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3
Toss 1/2 small thinly sliced red onion with half the 2 tbsp fresh lime juice and a pinch of salt. Let sit for 10 minutes.
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4
Dredge each piece of smelt in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.
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5
Heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Fry smelt in batches until golden and cooked through to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C), about 2-3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
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6
Add 2 small thinly sliced Roma tomato and remaining lime juice and 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro to the pickled onion. Toss gently to make salsa criolla.
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7
Spread aji mayo on cut sides of 4 split crusty sandwich rolls. Fill each roll with fried smelt and top with salsa criolla. Serve immediately.