Crispy Fried Snapper
Filipinos love their fish and the most popular way of serving it is as simple as fried or grilled, but one thing I notice is that when it’s fried everyone is racing to get those crispy bits, the edges where everything is crunchy and flavourful. Well if that’s what everyone wants I have a solution for you, the secret of frying your fish the crispy way. Usually when Filipinos fry their fish they place 1 or 2 scores on each side and shallow fry it, which is not helpful if you want it crispy. To make it crispy the way you wanted it is to score the fish multiple times, I usually score them 2 centimetres apart up to the bones, rub them with salt make sure it goes through the crevices and deep fry in enough oil. I assure you that if you prepare it this way it will be crispy to the bones as well as the head, you can even nibble on them (yes some Filipinos do this, I guess this is true for most East and South East Asians).
- Whole snapper
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- lots of oil for deep frying
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- juice from 1 lemon
- 2 birds eye chillies, chopped with seeds
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- Method
- Score snapper multiple times 2 cm apart on each side. Rub with salt and freshly ground black pepper and make sure season between the scores. Set it aside.
- In a large wok add enough oil for deep frying fish, once oil is very hot drop the fish one at a time. Maintain heat to medium high.
- Prepare you sauce ingredients my mixing all Soy Sauce Dip ingredients.
- Deep fry until both sides of fish is golden brown in colour. You can also notice that the bones that are visible from the scores turn golden brown; once this is achieved you can now remove your fish from the oil and place it in a dripping pan to remove excess oil.
- Once cooled down, serve with dipping sauce.
I love fish prepared like this!
Delicious! There’s an amazing amount of mighty good looking snapper in the southern hemisphere right now! I’ve been enjoying some Australian Barra of late but one things for sure, spring is on its way and this tasty snapper dish fits the bill for me… 🙂
Gorgeous snapper! Delicious!
What a fabulous tip Raymund! The crispy parts are by far my favorite parts and this looks like a great way to carry that throughout the dish. And i love snapper!
I’ve only had snapper once and I actually liked it. So this recipe seems like it would be perfect for a weekend dinner
My wife would love eating the fish heads on this dish. 🙂
What a gorgeous piece of fish! Sounds delicious. The crispy parts are definitely the best. 🙂
You had me hooked with the words “crispy bits”…. Portuguese grilled fish looks a little like this sometimes but the addition of the sauce in this sounds like the finishing touch. Yum! (great photo too btw!)
I love it when I’m presented with a whole fish! Much better flavor, and it looks spectacular. Great dish – thanks.
I am a fish freak!!! LOL
I love snapper, this recipe looks and sounds great …
A quick question for you Raymund, I have seen some Filipinos whole fish dish, they remove the eyes. I wanna know how to do that, my kids freak out with the eye part.. …lOL
This really is making me hungry…
I am not sure about the eye removal part as most of the Filipinos keep that intact, not sure though for Filipinos in the states. But if you really want to remove the eyes I suggest do it when its cooked not raw its easier that way by using a small teaspoon, I know that as my daughter love eating them and me when I was younger.
What a beautiful fried snapper! I’ve never fried snapper before, but you make it look so easy. Love the complementary dipping sauce!
Love the simplicity of this and tho’ I am kind’of anti-frying, sometimes it is warranted! As far as eyes go, I was taught from an early age that that was the best part of a whole fish given to the most honoured at the table?
Looks really nice and crispy! Fried fish is always tasty.
Your technique reminds me of the crispy Thai fish that I order out.
How big were your snapper? The only fresh snapper I can get are like 4 lb ones (flown in daily though which is nice) and I can never find a small enough fish that I can fry. PS though – yours looks awesomely crispy.
We usually get the smaller ones, 1lb and below. Still big but the plate on the photo is big as well
My mouth is watering!! I love crispy fish.