Cuban-Style Stewed Fish
Start to finish: 20 minutes
Serves 4
4 firm white fish fillets (such as tilapia) 4 to 6 ounces each
1 lemon, divided use
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Cuban seasoning blend*
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped yellow or orange bell pepper
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
½ cup dry white wine
chopped parsley, optional garnish
cooked rice of choice, optional
Rinse and dry each fillet. Place on plate and squirt juice from one half lemon over the fillets, turning to coat well.
In a large zipper top bag, combine flour and 1 tablespoon of seasoning. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Place each fillet individually in bag and shake to coat with flour mixture, placing into skillet. Repeat until all the fillets are in skillet. Discard remaining flour mixture. Fry fillets on each side until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes each. Remove to a plate.
Add onion, pepper and tomatoes to hot skillet. (There should still be a bit of oil in skillet, if not add a few teaspoons.) Stir and cook vegetable until onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add remaining juice from lemon half, remaining Cuban seasoning (1 teaspoon) and wine. Reduce heat to low. Place fillets back in skillet over vegetables and cover skillet. Stew for 5 minutes to allow fish to heat and absorb flavors from the vegetables and juices. Serve over rice of choice and garnish with parsley, if desired.
*For development purposes I used McCormick’s Cuban Spice mix, but online and boutique spice companies have similar blends that are just as delicious.
Approximate Values Per Serving: 270 calories, 13 g fat (3g saturated), 64mg cholesterol, 17g protein, 16g carbohydrates, 2g dietary fiber, 262mg sodium
