Description
A flavorful Nigerian dish made with whole croaker fish seasoned and fried until crispy, then tossed in a rich scotch bonnet and bell pepper sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 whole croaker fish, cleaned and gutted, scored with diagonal cuts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 seasoning cube, crumbled
- Juice of 1 lemon or lime
- Oil for frying
- 2 red bell peppers, roughly chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 2–4 scotch bonnet peppers, adjusted to taste
- 1 medium onion, half blended with the peppers, half sliced
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 seasoning cube
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Season and marinate the fish: Rinse the fish well and pat dry. Score each fish with 3–4 deep diagonal cuts on both sides. Mix together the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, curry powder, thyme, and crumbled seasoning cube. Rub this mixture all over the fish and squeeze the lemon or lime juice over the fish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
- Make the pepper sauce: Blend the red and green bell peppers, scotch bonnets, and half the onion with a splash of water. In a pan, heat the vegetable oil and sauté the sliced onion until soft. Pour in the blended pepper mixture and cook until the sauce has thickened and the oil separates.
- Fry the fish: Heat enough oil in a large frying pan to shallow-fry the fish. When the oil is hot, add the fish skin-side down and fry until golden brown, about 8–10 minutes per side.
- Combine and serve: Add the seasoning cube and black pepper to the pepper sauce, taste and adjust salt. Fold the fried fish into the sauce until fully coated.
Notes
Fish can be substituted with tilapia or catfish. A grilled version is also possible. This dish is better if the sauce is made a day ahead.
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Nigerian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 60mg