Pescado a la Chorrillana (Peruvian Fish in Tomato Onion Sauce)

About This Recipe

Pescado a la chorrillana takes its name from Chorrillos, a coastal fishing district in Lima, and features pan-fried white fish topped with a vibrant, slightly tangy sauce of sauteed onion, tomato, and bell pepper, brightened with vinegar and a touch of aji amarillo. It's a straightforward but flavorful preparation that showcases Peru's abundant coastal seafood alongside the country's characteristic use of aji chiles for color and mild heat. The technique that matters is cooking the fish and sauce as two separate components that come together at the end: the fish is dredged lightly in flour and pan-fried until golden and just cooked through, while the sauce -- onion, tomato, and bell pepper sauteed until softened, with vinegar and aji amarillo added for brightness and depth -- is prepared in a separate pan and spooned generously over the fried fish just before serving. This keeps the fish's exterior crisp rather than becoming soggy under a sauce cooked directly with it. Served with white rice and often fried yuca or potato, pescado a la chorrillana showcases the vibrant, coastal flavors of Peruvian cuisine -- simple technique yielding a genuinely bright, satisfying dish.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4white fish fillets(about 180g each)
• 1 tspsalt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 0.5 cupall-purpose flour(for dredging)
• 4 tbspneutral oil(divided)
• 1onion(sliced)
• 1red bell pepper(sliced)
• 2tomatoes(sliced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 tbspred wine vinegar
• 1 tbspaji amarillo paste
• 2 cupscooked white rice(for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Season and dredge the fish

   Season fish fillets with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly in flour.

2. 2

   Fry the fish

   Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Fry fish 3-4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Set aside.

3. 3

   Make the sauce

   In a separate pan, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Cook onion and bell pepper 8-10 minutes until softened.

4. 4

   Add tomato and garlic

   Add tomato and garlic, cooking 4-5 minutes until the tomatoes soften and release their juices.

5. 5

   Season the sauce

   Stir in vinegar and aji amarillo paste, simmering 2-3 minutes until well combined.

6. 6

   Serve

   Plate the fried fish and spoon the tomato-onion sauce generously over top. Serve with white rice.

Variations

• •

  Use shrimp instead of fish fillets for a different, equally traditional coastal Peruvian version.

• •

  Add sliced black olives to the sauce for a briny, Mediterranean-influenced touch found in some versions.

• •

  Serve over fried yuca instead of rice for a different starchy side.

Storage

Best eaten fresh, as the fried fish loses its crispness on storage. Refrigerate sauce and fish separately up to 2 days and reheat the fish in a hot pan before topping with warmed sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions