Name: Jalea de pescado
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 90 min
Cuisine: Peruvian cuisine
Ingredients: 800 g firm boneless white fish fillets, cut into 4 cm chunks, patted dry; 650 g fresh cassava (yuca), peeled, central woody core removed, cut into batons; 150 g plain wheat flour, for dredging; 80 g potato starch, for dredging; 20 g garlic, finely grated; 9 g fine salt, weighed and divided, 5 g fish / 4 g salsa; 2 g ground black pepper, for fish; 900 ml neutral frying oil, deep-frying supply, estimated 70 ml retained; 1800 ml water, for boiling yuca; 220 g red onion, thinly sliced; 180 g tomatoes, seeded and cubed; 30 g ají amarillo, deseeded, finely cut; 80 ml lime juice, fresh, salsa; 15 g fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Yield 4 portions

Prep 35 minutes

Cook 55 minutes

Passive 0 minutes

Total 90 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Jalea de pescado — step-by-step recipe

Despite its name, jalea de pescado is a salty, crisp-fried fish dish rather than a gelled sweet. Firm fish is cut into generous pieces, seasoned and coated lightly so its centre stays moist beneath a brittle crust.

Yuca is an important companion: it must first be properly boiled before its outside is crisped in oil. The dish is commonly served with salsa criolla, in which red onion, lime, tomato and ají contrast with the warmth of the fried fish.

Jalea appears along the Peruvian coast, including Lima, and mixed seafood versions are widely known. This preparation focuses specifically on fish. Cooking in manageable batches is crucial; overcrowding chills the oil and turns the coating heavy.

Ingredients

800 g firm boneless white fish fillets, cut into 4 cm chunks, patted dry
650 g fresh cassava (yuca), peeled, central woody core removed, cut into batons
150 g plain wheat flour, for dredging
80 g potato starch, for dredging
20 g garlic, finely grated
9 g fine salt, weighed and divided, 5 g fish / 4 g salsa
2 g ground black pepper, for fish
900 ml neutral frying oil, deep-frying supply, estimated 70 ml retained
1800 ml water, for boiling yuca
220 g red onion, thinly sliced
180 g tomatoes, seeded and cubed
30 g ají amarillo, deseeded, finely cut
80 ml lime juice, fresh, salsa
15 g fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Method

Prepare the cassava.Place 650 g peeled, de-cored yuca in a saucepan with 1800 ml water; simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, then drain well. A fork enters the centre easily without the batons collapsing. Cassava must be fully cooked; never serve raw or undercooked yuca.
Mix the criolla salsa.In a clean bowl toss 220 g onion, 180 g tomato, 30 g ají amarillo, 80 ml lime juice, 15 g coriander and 4 g of the salt. Onion strands are glossy and the citrus lightly coats the vegetables. Prepare the salad away from raw fish and raw-fish tools.
Season and dredge the fish.Pat 800 g fish dry; rub in 20 g garlic, 5 g salt and 2 g pepper, then coat pieces in the combined 150 g flour and 80 g potato starch. There is a light even powdery coating, not wet flour paste.
Bring oil to frying temperature.Heat all 900 ml oil in a deep heavy pan to 175 °C, using a thermometer and keeping the pan less than half full of oil. Oil is shimmering and the thermometer reads 175 °C. Keep children, water splashes and wet utensils away from hot oil.
Fry the fish in two batches.Lower half the fish carefully into the oil for 6 minutes, remove to a rack and repeat for the remaining half for another 6 minutes. The coating is crisp, lightly golden and separates from the rack without sticking. Fish must reach 63 °C at the centre of the thickest piece.
Crisp the cooked yuca.Fry the drained yuca in two separate batches for 8 minutes each; turn off the burner once frying is complete. The edges are crisp and the centres remain tender. Avoid adding wet cassava to oil; do not pour hot oil away.
Assemble immediately.Arrange the fried yuca beneath the fish on a platter and spoon the salsa alongside at the last moment. The fish crust remains dry and crisp while the salsa stays bright.

Practical

Practical guidance

Serving. Keep the red-onion salsa alongside until just before eating. It should brighten the platter without soaking the crust. Preparation. Peel yuca thoroughly and remove its hard central fibre. Boil it before frying; do not prepare it as raw chips. Leftovers. Refrigerate fish and yuca promptly at 4 °C or below for up to 3–4 days. Reheat fish to 74 °C, although the coating will soften. Variation. Jalea mixta adds shellfish; those additions require their own quantities, allergens and cooking endpoints and are not automatically part of this fish-only dish.

Control points

Coating falls offMoisture on the fish prevents the dry dredge from adhering. Pat the fish dry before coating.
Oil foams aggressivelyToo much wet food went in at once. Stop adding pieces, maintain a safe oil level and cook smaller batches.

Nutrition per serving (estimated)

Serving size1 of 4 generous portions
Calories880 kcal
Carbohydrates113 g
Protein51 g
Fat25 g
Fibre6 g
Sodium1050 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains fish and wheat gluten. Fish reaches 63 °C; hot oil causes serious burns. Cook cassava completely before eating. Keep uncooked animal products away from food that is ready to serve. Wash utensils and hands after raw handling. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers, refrigerate at 4 °C or below within 2 hours, use within 3–4 days and reheat leftovers to 74 °C.

Closing

Result: Serve crisp fish over hot yuca, with citrus-dressed onion salsa beside it.
Key control: Hot oil, well-dried fish and separate small frying batches prevent a soggy crust.

Jalea de pescado — step-by-step recipe

Ingredients

Ingredients

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Control points

Nutrition per serving (estimated)

Allergens and food safety

Closing

Peruvian National Dishes

Patarashca de doncella

Caldo blanco

Parihuela limeña