Recently, my husband brought home a menu from a new local Peruvian cuisine restaurant. The ingredients from one of their appetizers “Choritos a la Chalaca” grabbed my attention. I don’t like mussels (the choritos part) but I like onions, tomato, corn and lemon juice (the a la chalaca) portion. Since I am trying to include more fish in my meals, I decided to make a fish version of the meal.
As I did my research, I learned that many authentic Peruvian “Choritos a la Chalaca” dishes include white wine, limes and rocoto chili peppers. In my version, I leave out all three. I’m going through a hot sauce phase at the moment though, so I included a tablespoon to give the dish some heat. It’s a light, delicious dish that can be eaten alone or with some brown rice. This is definitely now one of my “go to” summer fish dishes. I think that you will like it too…
Peruvian Inspired Flounder
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 lbs boneless fish fillet*
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ tomato, chopped
- ½ cup corn kernels
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 tbsp hot sauce
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spread the olive oil on the bottom and sides of a baking dish.
3. Rinse the fish with cold water and pat it dry with paper towels. Season both sides of the fish with salt and black pepper and place the fish in a single layer on the bottom of the baking dish.
4. Cover the fish with the onion, tomato and corn.
5. In a small bowl, mix the juice from the lemon together with the hot sauce. Sprinkle the mixture over the fish and vegetables.
6. Place the dish in the heated oven and allow the dish to bake uncovered for 30 minutes before removing it from the oven.
Recipe Notes:
-I used (thawed) frozen flounder, but you could also use (thawed) frozen tilapia or whiting.