This dish was inspired by one from Sisha’s native Chile: a fried fish with a traditional tomato and onion salad. In Chile, the onion is not a condiment in the salad but, rather, an ingredient in its own right. So as not to be overpowered by so much raw onion, we “shock” the onion first; this blunts the thrust of the onion without sacrificing its texture. The sparkling water in the batter lends a tempura-like quality. And since the traditional Chilean green chile is unavailable here, we use serrano chiles—smaller and about five times hotter than jalapeños, but thin-walled and easy to use.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 sandwiches
Ingredients
For the tomato salad
For the fried cod
Preparation
Step 1
To make the tomato salad, in a large pot, bring water to a boil and lower the whole tomatoes into the boiling water; leave for 5 seconds, then immediately transfer to an ice-water bath, chill completely, and drain. Peel off the skins. If the skins aren’t coming off, place back in the boiling water for a couple of seconds more. Place the onion in the same boiling water and leave in for 15 to 30 seconds; drain and transfer to the ice-water bath. Allow the onion to sit in the bath for 15 minutes.
Step 2
Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise, discard the juices and seeds, and chop into large chunks. Transfer to a bowl, add the onion, and mix well. Add the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, and the parsley and toss.
Step 3
To make the fried cod, season the fish with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and the seltzer, and whisk into a thin and smooth batter. Fill an 8- to 10-inch skillet with enough oil to measure about 2 inches up the side. Make sure the pot is deep enough to leave at least 4 inches above the oil. Heat the oil to 350–360°F. The oil is ready when you can see it moving around in the skillet; test the heat with a small piece of fish, making sure that the oil sizzles when the fish is added. Dip the fish into the batter and carefully place a couple of pieces of fish into the hot oil at a time. (It’s important not to crowd the pot.) Fry the fish until golden, about 8 minutes, and transfer to paper towels with a slotted spoon. Season with salt.
Step 4
Slice and lightly toast the rolls. In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise and the chile, and spread evenly over the bottom slices of bread. Top the mayonnaise with the fried cod and place the tomato salad on the top slices of bread. Close the sandwiches, cut into halves, and serve.
