Spain on a Fork > All Recipes > Tapas > Spanish Fried Fish Tapas – Pescaito Frito Recipe
All Recipes, Tapas / November 26, 2019

Spanish Fried Fish Tapas – Pescaito Frito Recipe

Spain is well-known for their consuption of seafood, and this Spanish fried fish tapas dish is no exception. This is a very popular dish throughout all of the Spanish coast. However, the way we´re making it today is Andalusian-style. This means just seafood, flour, sea salt and olive oil.


Walk into any tapas bar in the beautiful city of Sevilla and you will find this fried fish tapas platter. Loaded with an array of seafood, offering a simple yet extraordinary flavor and easily done at home. Now you can bring the flavors of Sevilla into your pad in just about 30 minutes 🙂 .


To make this recipe, I used cleaned tubes of squid for the fried calamari. If you can´t find these in your supermarket, check with a local Asian supermarket. They usually have them in the freezer department. I also used some frozen cod that I thawed out and some fresh anchovies.


TIPS & TRICKS to make this recipe: I used a virgin (not extra virgin) olive oil to fry all the seafood. You can also use sunflower oil or any other light olive oil. If you´re using frozen fish to make this, make sure you thaw it out and completely pat it down with paper towels. This removes any excess moisture, giving the fish a great texture. Don´t over fry any of the fish, you want them to be fully cooked through, but with a light golden color.


Key Ingredients & Cookware I used in this Recipe:
SWISS DIAMOND FRY PAN
SPANISH VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
SPANISH SEA SALT

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Watch the Video Below on How to Make Spanish Fried Fish Tapas – Pescaito Frito Recipe

Spanish Fried Fish Tapas - Pescaito Frito Recipe

Course Appetizer
Cuisine Spanish
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4
Author Albert Bevia @ Spain on a Fork

Ingredients

  • 2 cleaned tubes of squid
  • 1 14 ounce fillet of cod 390 grams
  • 1 lbs fresh anchovies 250 grams
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • sea salt
  • 1 cup virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon
  • handful freshly chopped parsley

Instructions

  1. Rinse 2 cleaned tubes of squid under cold running water, pat them dry with paper towels, cut each tube into 1/2 inch thick rings, add into a clear plastic bag, add in 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and season generously with sea salt, mix together until all the squid rings are well coated

  2. Pat down a 14 ounce fillet of cod with paper towels, cut into 1 inch x 1 inch squares, add into a large bowl, add in 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, season generously with sea salt and gently mix together until each piece of cod is well coated

  3. Grab 1 lbs of fresh anchovies, along with 1 large bowl filled 1/2 way with cold water and another empty bowl, cut the anchovy belly all the way through (start from behind the head all the way down to the tail), using your finger remove the guts, rinse in the bowl with the cold water and then into the other bowl, once you have all your anchovies gutted, rinse them under cold running water, drain the water, gently pat them down with paper towels, add in 1/2 cup all-purpose flour into the bowl, season generously with sea salt and gently mix them together until they are all coated in the flour

  4. Heat a large fry pan with a medium-high heat and add in a generous 1 cup of virgin olive oil, after 3 to 4 minutes and the oil is nice & hot, start frying the anchovies, cook them in batches to not over-crowd the pan, cook for 90 seconds per side, then transfer to a dish with paper towels and cover with foil paper to keep them warm

  5. Using the same pan with the same heat, add the cod into the pan and fry for 4 minutes, mixing occasionally to ensure they all cook evenly, then transfer to the dish with the anchovies and cover with foil paper, next add the squid rings, again cook in batches and go about 90 seconds per side

  6. Once all your fish is done, transfer it into a serving platter, garnish with a couple lemon slices and sprinkle with some freshly chopped parsley, serve at once, enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Get the Spanish Virgin Olive Oil I used to make this fried fish tapas recipe

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1 Comment

  1. Andalusia -The Art of Tapas: Small Plates, Big Flavors

    […] cuisine includes notable dishes such as gazpacho, seafood, and fried fish, often called pescaĂ­to frito among the locals. Frying in Andalusian cuisine is dominated by using olive oil that is produced […]

    30 . Nov . 2023

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