Barracuda Fish Fingers
Hello again!
It has been a couple of weeks since you last heard from me. And for a good reason: I just finished my first cookbook “Modern Caribbean Flavors”! Together with the ladies of Diva’s Publishing I have been busy cooking, hunting, testing, tasting, fishing, writing, reviewing and photo shooting. The book is getting printed as we speak and will be available on Curaçao beginning of December. I am still a little sleep-deprived, but very happy with and proud of the result!
More info will follow soon, but first it is time to get back to business. I have made a new recipe for Barracuda Fish Fingers. As with many fish recipes, you can easily substitute the barracuda with any other fish of your liking. Just make sure that it is fresh.
A little warning though before working with barracuda. In the Caribbean, there is a risk of ciguatoxin poisoning. Ciguatera is caused by eating certain reef fish whose flesh is contaminated with a toxin. The toxin is made by poisonous algae that live in tropical waters. To avoid poisoning, use small barracuda’s of 5 lbs. (2.25 kg) or less. The young fish have not had enough time to accumulate enough toxin, if any, in their system.
Still fancy these dangerously delicious fish fingers? Here’s the recipe:
PrintBarracuda Fish Fingers
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 4 mins
- Total Time: 19 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients
- 1.1 lb. (500 g) barracuda (or other white fish) filet
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup (90 g) fresh breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Instructions
- Slice the fish into thick strips, about 4″ / 10cm long and 1″ / 2.5cm thick. Season the fish strips with pepper and salt. If you have smaller pieces of fish, you can ‘glue’ them together with a little egg white and leave to set in the fridge for 30 minutes, before breading them.
- Take 3 small bowls, 1 for the flour, 1 for the eggs and 1 for the breadcrumbs. Dip the fish strips first in the flour, then in the eggs, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Make sure the fish is covered on all sides with a nice layer of breadcrumbs. Lay them out on a baking sheet and put in the fridge until ready to use.
- Heat the oil to 375F / 180C. Fry the fish fingers, in batches, for 3 – 4 minutes, or until browned and crispy. Serve with a squeeze of lime and a dollop of tartar sauce on the side (see recipe for deep-fried baby-lionfish)
PS. Don’t forget to surprise your family and friends with my new cookbook; it is the perfect gift for the upcoming holiday season!
Happy weekend!
