Fish From Tipitapa (Pescado a la Tipitapa)

Pescado a la Tipitapa is a Nicaraguan fish dish where sea bass or red snapper gets coated in toasted cornmeal and pan-fried until crisp, then topped with a warm sauce of onion, tomato, sweet red pepper, Worcestershire, white wine, and a bay leaf.

Toasting the cornmeal in a dry skillet before coating the fish is the step that makes this recipe stand out. Two minutes over heat transforms the raw cornmeal from bland and gritty to nutty and fragrant. That toasted flavor carries through the frying and gives the crust a depth that plain cornmeal doesn’t have.

The sauce cooks separately while you prep the fish. Ten minutes for the vegetables, five more after adding wine and oil. Keep it warm and pour it over the fish right before serving so the crust stays crispy underneath.

Pro Tips

• Bone the fish completely before coating. Cornmeal crust hides bones, and biting into one ruins the experience.
• Roll the fish liberally in cornmeal. A thick coating fries into a crunchier shell than a light dusting.
• Fry 5 minutes per side and only flip once. Moving the fish around breaks the crust and it won’t crisp evenly.
• Drain on paper towels briefly before plating. Excess oil makes the sauce slide off instead of clinging to the crust.

Variations

• Use tilapia or catfish if sea bass and snapper aren’t available.
• Add a diced jalapeño to the sauce for a spicier, more Central American heat.
• Squeeze fresh lime juice over the plated fish alongside the sauce for brightness.