Tilapia Fry — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Whole tilapia fish scored, marinated in lemon and spices, and deep-fried until the skin is shatteringly crispy and the flesh is moist and flavorful.

Ingredients

1 whole tilapia (about 500g), cleaned and scored
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup all-purpose flour or cornmeal
Oil for frying
Kachumbari for serving
Ugali for serving

Instructions

1 Make three diagonal slashes on each side of the cleaned tilapia, cutting down to the bone.
2 Rub fish inside and out with lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and turmeric. Marinate for fifteen minutes.
3 Lightly dust the marinated fish with flour or cornmeal, shaking off any excess coating.
4 Heat oil in a deep pan to medium-high. Carefully slide the fish into the hot oil.
5 Fry for six minutes per side until the skin is deeply golden, crispy, and the flesh flakes easily.
6 Drain on paper towels and serve whole on a platter with ugali and kachumbari.

Did You Know?

In Kisumu and towns along Lake Victoria, freshly caught tilapia is fried within hours of being pulled from the water, and locals claim it tastes nothing like store-bought fish.