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Pescado a la chorrillana with rice

Pescado a la chorrillana is a Peruvian dish of pan seared cod fillets topped with a sauce of red onions, tomatoes and sweet chili. It serves 4, takes 40 minutes, and is rated easy, at a cost of €3.40 per person. The trick is keeping the onions crunchy by searing them over high heat at the last minute.

Tonight we're off to Lima, with pescado a la chorrillana, pan seared fish topped with a sauce of onions, tomatoes and yellow chili.

Pescado a la chorrillana with rice
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.40
Calories per person
620 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall, Spring

This dish plays on contrast, a crisp golden crust on the fish against a fresh, slightly tangy sauce sharpened with vinegar and sweet chili. The red onions, seared over high heat, keep their bite, and the tomatoes stay in chunks instead of breaking down into mush. It's a bright, colorful dish, nothing like a slow simmered sauce.

It's a good pick for a weeknight when you want something different from plain baked fish, as long as you have twenty free minutes to run two pans at once. Adults who like a bit of heat will enjoy it, though it's less of a sure thing for chili sensitive kids. Mon Chou likes serving it on a night when you're craving a simple taste of somewhere else.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Cod or pollock fillets 700 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Red onions 3
  • Tomatoes 3
  • Yellow bell pepper 1
  • Sweet or yellow chili pepper 1
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Cilantro 4 sprigs

Pantry

  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Flouroften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Vegetable oiloften in the pantry 5 tbsp
  • Wine vinegaroften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Ground cuminoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Fish, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Slice the red onions into thick crescents, cut the tomatoes into wedges, and slice the bell pepper and chili into strips.

    Remove the seeds from the chili to keep its flavor without the heat.

  2. Season the fillets with salt and pepper, dust with flour, sear them in half the oil until golden, then set aside and keep warm. 10 min

    Flour the fish right before cooking, otherwise the flour turns gummy.

  3. In another pan, stir fry the onions, bell pepper, chili, garlic and cumin over high heat in the remaining oil. 5 min

    Keep the heat high and don't cover, the onions should sear, not steam.

  4. Add the tomatoes and vinegar and let it reduce just briefly, for a fresh, tangy sauce. 4 min

    The tomatoes should hold their shape, pull the pan off the heat before they break down.

  5. Cook the rice in salted water, then serve the fish topped with sauce, cilantro and the rice. 12 min

    Pour the sauce over the fish at the very last moment to keep its crust crisp.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick thick cod fillets, they hold together better during cooking and won't fall apart when you spoon the sauce over them.
  • Chop all your vegetables before you turn on the heat, the sauce cooks fast and you won't have time to slice mid recipe.
  • Run two pans side by side if you can, the fish stays crisp while the sauce finishes cooking without either one waiting on the other.

The variations

  • Swap the cod for pollock or monkfish, two firm white fish that hold up well in a pan.
  • For a vegetarian version, swap the fish for slices of firm tofu, floured and seared the same way.
  • For a faster version, skip the flour step and just sear the plain fish a few minutes on each side.

What to serve it with

  • Plain white rice
  • Lime wedges
  • Avocado salad

Storage

Store the fish and sauce separately from the rice, in sealed containers, for up to 2 days in the fridge. This dish doesn't freeze well, the fish loses its texture. Reheat the sauce gently in a pan and add the fish at the very end so it doesn't overcook.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the sauce ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the onion and tomato sauce a few hours ahead and reheat it over high heat right before serving. Avoid making it the day before, the onions would lose their crunch.

What chili can I use if I can't find Peruvian yellow chili?

A mild sweet pepper with a bit of heat, or a fresh Espelette style chili, works well. The goal is flavor without too much burn.

Why flour the fish before cooking it?

The flour forms a thin crust that protects the fish and keeps it tender inside. Add it right before cooking, otherwise it turns gummy from the fish's moisture.

Can I use a different vinegar?

Yes, cider vinegar or lime juice work well and give a similar tang. Adjust the amount to taste, some vinegars are stronger than others.

How long does it take to make a pescado a la chorrillana with rice?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a pescado a la chorrillana with rice?

About 620 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a pescado a la chorrillana with rice cost?

About €3.40 per serving, or €13.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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