This delicious and popular Portuguese fish fillets with tomato rice recipe (receita de filetes de pescada com arroz de tomate) makes a great meal.
Ingredients
Tomato Rice
1 and 1/2 cups of short-grain rice
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, sliced thin
1/2 cup of tomato sauce
1/2 cup of parsley, chopped
1/2 cup of cilantro or extra parsley, chopped
3 cups of water or vegetable broth
Salt, to taste
Olive oil (to taste)
Hake Filets
2 lbs of frozen or fresh boneless, skinless hake fillets (you could also use flounder or cod)
4 to 5 large garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 lemon, halved
2 to 3 eggs, beaten
Flour, for breading
Sea salt (to taste)
Olive oil for frying
Directions
Tomato Rice
In a large pot, heat the chopped onion and garlic in olive oil, add the peppers and cook until it becomes a bit soft, seasoning with a bit of salt.
Add the chopped tomato and dry rice, mix a bit, then add the water (seasoned with salt) or broth, cover and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once rice is 3/4 of the way cooked, add the tomato sauce, mix well and continue to cook on low, stirring more frequently to keep from sticking, and checking the seasoning.
Once rice is fully-cooked, it should should still be wet, do not let the rice become dry.
Stir in the chopped parsley or cilantro and it’s ready to serve.
Pan-Fried Hake Fillets
Season the fillets with salt, juice of half a lemon and sliced garlic, mix well and let marinate for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Heat up the olive oil in a large sauce pan, fill to about a half-inch with oil, keep the heat on medium to medium high (too high will burn the fish before it cooks it).
You can test the oil to see if it’s ready with a dash of flour or water to see if it sizzles.
Take fillets directly from marinade and coat in flour, then in egg.
Gently place coated fillets into pan, about two at a time, turning a couple of times until golden brown.
Remove and place on a paper-towels, also cover with paper towels to soak up any excess oil.
Serve immediately with the rice.
