Cuban-Japanese fusion recipe
Crispy Snapper Tempura with Passion Fruit Sauce
Crispy snapper in Japanese tempura batter with a tropical passion fruit, lime and ají cachucha sauce. A Cuban-Japanese fusion dish ready in 40 minutes.
- Preparation20 min
- Cooking20 min
- Total time40 min
- Servings4 plates of snapper tempura
- DifficultyMedium
Snapper is one of the most prized fish in Cuban cuisine. In this Cuban-Japanese fusion dish, the fillets are cut into manageable pieces, coated in a very light tempura batter and fried until golden and crisp.
The passion fruit sauce adds a citrusy, fruity contrast with a touch of ají cachucha. It is served on the side so the fish coating stays crisp.
Ingredients
Check off the ingredients you have.
For the fish and tempura
For the passion fruit sauce
Method
Tropical sauce
- Wash the ají cachucha, remove its seeds and chop it finely. Strain the passion fruit pulp without crushing the seeds.
- In a small saucepan, combine the passion fruit, lime juice, sugar, 40 ml water and ají. Cook over low heat for 4 minutes.
- Add the teaspoon of dissolved cornstarch, stir and cook for 1 minute until the sauce thickens slightly. Set aside and keep warm.
Snapper tempura
- Run your fingers over the fillets and remove any bones. Cut the fish into even strips, pat dry with paper towel and season with salt.
- Heat the oil in a deep pot to 175–180 °C, filling it no more than one-third full. Place a wire rack over a tray for draining.
- Mix 100 g flour and 60 g cornstarch with the very cold sparkling water using chopsticks or a fork. Stir briefly: it is fine if small lumps remain.
- Dust the fish strips with the reserved 20 g flour and dip them in the tempura batter. Fry a few pieces per batch for 3–4 minutes, turning them if needed, until golden and cooked through.
- Check that the fish reaches 63 °C (145 °F) at the thickest part. Drain on the rack and repeat with the rest.
- Serve immediately on a platter, with the passion fruit sauce in a separate bowl for dipping so the coating does not become soggy.
