Ingredients
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1 ¼ pounds firm whitefish fillets, such as tilapia or snapper
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½ teaspoon kosher salt
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½ teaspoon ground pepper
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¼ cup all-purpose flour
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3 tablespoons safflower oil, divided
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1 shallot, finely chopped
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1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
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1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
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2 teaspoons granulated sugar
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1 small Scotch bonnet chile pepper (see Tip) or other hot pepper, such as serrano
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1 cinnamon stick
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4 bay leaves
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1 tablespoon lemon zest
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2 tablespoons chopped fresh culantro (see Tip) or cilantro
Directions
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Pat fish dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge each fillet lightly in flour, shaking off any excess.
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Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook undisturbed until golden brown on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the other side, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
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Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and shallot to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is soft, about 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in broth, tamarind and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the sugar is just dissolved, about 1 minute. Add chile, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and lemon zest. Cover and reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
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Transfer the fish to a serving platter. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaves; pour the sauce over the fish. Top with culantro (or cilantro).
