Sea Bass With Garlic Chips and Salsa Macha
Updated Sept. 23, 2025
- Total Time
- 1 hour 25 minutes
- Prep Time
- 25 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2dried guajillo or ancho chiles
- 6dried chiles de árbol
- 1cup olive oil or vegetable oil, divided
- ½cup dry-roasted peanuts
- 4garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste
- 1½pounds boneless firm white fish, such as sea bass, cod, corvina, swordfish or halibut
- Salt and pepper
- 3tablespoons lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½cup thinly sliced garlic cloves (from 2 to 3 heads of garlic)
- 1cup all-purpose flour
- ½cup rice flour
- Pinch of cayenne
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- ¼cup chopped cilantro, plus some sprigs, for garnish
- Lime wedges and warm tortillas, for serving
For the Salsa Macha
For the Fish
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
729 calories; 51 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 33 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 31 grams protein; 552 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Prepare the salsa macha: Set a dry cast-iron skillet or comal over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the guajillo and árbol chiles to toast lightly for 1 to 2 minutes, turning them over occasionally, until puffed. This awakens the flavor in the chiles and makes them more pliable, helpful for removing seeds. When cool enough to handle, use scissors or a sharp paring knife to cut open the pods and scrape away seeds (discarding seeds and stems). Leave to cool completely. (Be careful not to rub your eyes.)
- Step 2
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, heat ½ cup vegetable oil until it bubbles lightly at the edges. Add peanuts and let them lightly fry, about 30 seconds. Then add the chopped garlic, letting it brown ever so slightly, another 15 seconds or so. Finally add the sesame seeds and turn off the heat.
- Step 3
Prepare the fish: Cut fish into 4 or 6 portions and lay them on a plate. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. Drizzle with lime juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil. If time permits, let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Step 4
When the salsa mixture is cool, pour the contents into a blender jar or food processor and add the reserved toasted chiles, the salt and remaining ½ cup vegetable oil. Blend or pulse to make a rough-textured sauce.
- Step 5
Meanwhile, cut garlic lengthwise into very thin slices. You should have a good ½ cup. Set aside.
- Step 6
In a shallow bowl, mix together all-purpose flour and rice flour. Mix in cayenne and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Dip fish fillets into flour mixture on both sides, then repeat so the fish is well coated.
- Step 7
When ready to cook, heat a skillet (wide enough to accommodate fish in one layer) over medium-high heat and add ¼ cup vegetable oil. When oil is wavy, add garlic slices and stir. When they begin to sizzle, lower heat to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring, until garlic becomes lightly golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove garlic chips with a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, and set aside at room temperature.
- Step 8
Raise heat to medium-high and carefully slip fish fillets into the hot garlicky oil. Depending on the thickness of the fish, it should take 3 to 4 minutes per side to cook through, with a nicely browned exterior. Remove fish to another paper towel-lined plate.
- Step 9
To serve, arrange fillets on a platter or on individual dinner plates. Drizzle with some of the salsa macha, then sprinkle reserved garlic chips over fish. Garnish with cilantro, and serve with lime wedges and warm tortillas. (Store any leftover salsa macha in a tightly closed jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.)
Private Notes
Comments
There are two sets of frying being done here, in two separate pans. To make the salsa matcha, you lightly fry peanuts, garlic, and sesame seeds. You take that pan off the heat and let it cool down. Then, as stated in Step 4, you add the prepared chiles to the now-cooled oil, seeds, and peanuts, and blend all to a rough purée with more oil. That’s your salsa. You then cook more garlic in a separate pan of oil, remove the cooked garlic, and fry the fish in the garlicky-flavored oil.
The cooled oil with peanuts and garlic and sesame seeds in Step 2 is the "salsa mixture" from Step 4. That oil, with peanuts/garlic/sesame seeds in it, goes into blender with chilies and becomes the salsa.
This was very good, both flavorful and a bit spicy. But a lot of work making the salsa, the garlic chips, and coating a frying the fish. I was a professional chef at one of the busiest seafood restaurants in New Jersey, and it took me two hours to make this. I'll make it again because of all of the leftover dried peppers.
Though it may be obvious, step 2 doesn't mention about taking the said ingredients out of the oil. Peanuts and garlic chips may be easier, but sesame seeds, kind of difficult without the proper utensils. All three items will cook very quickly in hot oil. Step 9 doesn't mention the peanuts or sesame seeds. Very confusing!
The cooled oil with peanuts and garlic and sesame seeds in Step 2 is the "salsa mixture" from Step 4. That oil, with peanuts/garlic/sesame seeds in it, goes into blender with chilies and becomes the salsa.
There are two sets of frying being done here, in two separate pans. To make the salsa matcha, you lightly fry peanuts, garlic, and sesame seeds. You take that pan off the heat and let it cool down. Then, as stated in Step 4, you add the prepared chiles to the now-cooled oil, seeds, and peanuts, and blend all to a rough purée with more oil. That’s your salsa. You then cook more garlic in a separate pan of oil, remove the cooked garlic, and fry the fish in the garlicky-flavored oil.