"Pwason Fri"
Haitian Fried Fish

​Red snapper is my mother's favorite fish. She grew up in La Gonave, an island off the northwest coast of Haiti, and fish was a frequent thing for her. She's the type who can take a spoonful of fish and cleanly spit out the bones effortlessly. Unfortunately, although I love fish, I didn't acquire such skills. I can't fully enjoy it the way I would want too because I'm so focused on trying to avoid their sharp bones. 
Despite that, there's no way I can avoid a good fried fish. I'll be digging through it like there's no tomorrow because it's just so good. Below I provide the recipe for 1 red snapper. However, the marinade may be enough for two. The fish turns out crispy on the outside, full of flavor, and the inside is flaky as well as juicy.  For my fish lovers, give this one a try and let me know what you think. 

Ingredients:

​1 large Red Snapper
1 – 2 tbsps. Epis
3 tbsps. Lemon Juice
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
5 Cloves (jirof)
2 – 3 Springs of Thyme
½ Maggie Chicken Bouillon Cube
½ tsp. Seasoned Salt
½ cup Flour
1 Scotch Bonnet or Habanero Pepper
1/8 tsp. Accent (optional)

Directions:

1. Refer to the "Cleaning Fish" page to have your fish prepped before seasoning it. ​Cut slits ( 3 - 4) on the surface of the fish (both sides) in order for the marinade to go through. If you prefer, you can cut the fish in half. I decided to keep it whole. 
​2. Finely mince 1 hot pepper (scotch bonnet or habanero) and add it to a small bowl with 1 – 2 tbsps. of epis. Many of my recipes have hot peppers as optional. Although you may omit it if you want, the pepper really provides a nice flavor. Surprisingly, you'll barely notice the heat once the fish is fried so I highly recommend using it. 
3. Add in the following to the bowl will epis: 3 tbsps. lemon juice, 1 tsp. garlic powder, ½ crushed Maggie, ½ tsp. seasoned salt, 5 cloves, the leaves removed from 2 – 3 sprigs of thyme, and 1/8 tsp. of accent (optional). Mix the spices thoroughly with a spoon to combine. 
​4. Baste this marinade all over the fish and especially through the slits that were made. This is what will pack the fish full of flavor. Cover the fish and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight. As always, the longer it marinates, the better. I had prepped this fish a day in advance and the level of flavor that burst out with every bite was well worth the wait. Some people state that marinating fish for too long causes it to break down. I did not encounter such issues. 
​5. Add enough oil in a frying pan that will be able to submerge the fish at least ½ way. Turn heat to high and allow it to reach temperature. You want the oil as hot as possible before placing in the fish. 
6. Meanwhile, in a pan large enough to contain the fish, especially if you kept it whole instead of cutting in half, add in about ½ cup of white flour. (I used a baking pan.) Sprinkle a dash of garlic powder, fresh ground black pepper, and seasoned salt. Combine the spices within the flour and evenly spread the flour in the pan.
​7. Lay the marinated fish on the flour and flour both sides. Shake off any excess flour.
8. Once the oil has reached temperature (high), gently lay the floured fish in the oil. Be careful for any unexpected oil splatter. Fry the fish on 1 side for about 5 minutes, until it reaches a nice, crisp, golden color.
​​9. Gently flip to the other side and fry for another 3 – 5 minutes. 
​10. Transfer fish to a dish lined with paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
​11. The fried fish is ready to be enjoyed! You can accompany your fish with anything of your choosing. Try it with a side of rice and “sos” or “bannann peze”. It’s also very great with “pikliz”.
How do you like this recipe? What do you accompany your fried fish with?
​Let me know and comment below!