← All recipes · Species guide: Triggerfish
Cuba · Triggerfish

Cuban Fried Triggerfish with Garlic Mojo

Pescado Frito con Mojo

On Cuba’s south coast the catch of the day is soaked in lime and garlic, fried golden and finished at the table with a sizzling garlic mojo. A plate of congrí is never far away.

  • Prep 15 min + 30 min soak
  • Cook 20 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy
Photo: rovingI · CC BY 2.0
Served with: Cuban Red Beans and Rice ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the fish

For the mojo

Method

Step by step, the way it is done on the island.

  1. Soak the fish. Toss the fillets with the lime juice, mashed garlic, salt and pepper. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
  2. Dredge. Lift the fish out, let the extra juice drip off and coat each piece in flour, shaking off the excess.
  3. Fry. Heat ½ inch (1 cm) of oil in a heavy skillet to 350 °F (175 °C). Fry the fish 3–4 minutes per side until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
  4. Make the mojo. Mash the garlic with the salt. Heat the olive oil and cook the onion 2 minutes, add the garlic for 30 seconds, then take it off the heat and pour in the sour orange juice and cumin; it will sputter.
  5. Serve. Pour the hot mojo over the fish and serve right away with congrí and lime wedges.

On the side

The side dish that belongs with it, full recipe included.

Cuba

Cuban Red Beans and Rice

Congrí Oriental

Red beans and rice cooked together, the way they make it in eastern Cuba around Santiago. The beans tint the rice a deep reddish brown.

  • Prep 15 min
  • Cook 40 min
  • Serves 6
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 2 cans (15 oz) small red beans, drained, liquid saved (or 1 cup dry, cooked)
  • 1½ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 3 strips bacon, chopped (optional)
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2½ cups liquid: the bean liquid plus water
  • 1 tsp salt

How to make it

  1. Sofrito. Fry the bacon in a heavy pot until crisp. Add the oil, onion and pepper and cook 6 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and oregano for 1 minute.
  2. Fry the beans. Add the beans and fry them in the sofrito for 3 minutes, so the rice picks up their color.
  3. Add rice and liquid. Stir in the rice, the liquid, bay leaf and salt and bring to a boil.
  4. Cook low and rest. Cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, rest 10 minutes covered, and fluff with a fork.

Photo: Lorena Galicia · CC BY-SA 4.0

More ways to cook Triggerfish

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Nassau, BahamasBahamian Fried Triggerfish
Santa Marta, ColombiaColombian Coastal Fish Sudado
Cyclades, GreeceCharcoal-Grilled Triggerfish with Lemon-Oil