ROSADA—THE PINK FISH FROM FAR AWAY

 “I took my guests out to eat local fish,” a friend told me. “Right on the beach. We had rosada. So fresh, so good.” 

I had to tell her that rosada isn’t local, isn’t fresh. Good, yes. And widely available, even at restaurants on the Mediterranean seafront, in view of the fishing port. (This was near Marbella on the Costa del Sol.)

In Spain, “rosada,” which means “pink,” is a very pretty name for the cusk-eel, fished in the South Atlantic, from Namibia to South Africa (Genypterus capensis), or, from even further afield, in the South Pacific, around Chile and Patagonia on one side and New Zealand and Australia on the other (G. blacodes). Rosada arrives on Spanish shores headless, boneless and usually skinless. Frozen solid. 

Fillets of rosada, a fine (imported) fish.

When rosada first started showing up in local markets, vendors thawed it and displayed it alongside fresh fish. If questioned, they insisted it was “fresh.” Restaurants used to list it on menus as “mero” (grouper), a much-esteemed fish. 

According to Esperanza Peláez, who wrote in Diario Sur (La curiosa historia de la rosada), the Málaga daily newspaper,  with improved refrigeration and transport, rosada now arrives fresh as well as frozen to Spanish markets. 

Felix sells fresh and frozen rosada.

I was able to confirm this at my local village market, where I bought skinned and filleted rosada. Felix, the vendor, showed me the bill of lading—the fish was labeled “refrigerado,” not “congelado” (€14.90/kilo).  He also had frozen rosada with skin and bones (€12.90/kilo); frozen fillet with a lot of extra weight in ice pack (€10.90/kilo) and, what he said was the best quality, frozen fillets, with skin (€17.90/kilo), from New Zealand.  

Rosada is a large fish, with pinkish-orange skin mottled with brown. It’s not a true eel, but has a thick, elongated body and a blunt snout. The fillets really are bone-free. It is not a threatened species, so is a good choice for food fish. Rosada could be used in any recipe calling for cod, conger, grouper, haddock or halibut. It’s good grilled on the plancha, sauced or in fish soups. 

 

Though it comes from far away, rosada has become naturalized in Málaga, where it’s ubiquitous in restaurants and tapa bars. Buchones de rosada—fried fish sticks—are one of the popular preparations.  

These fish sticks are cross-cut slices of filleted rosada, breaded and fried in olive oil. Here, served with fries (chips) and a non-traditional coleslaw. Garlic mayonnaise for dipping.

Instead of mayo, the slaw is dressed with yogurt and olive oil. Besides cabbage and grated carrots, it has diced figs. A nice condiment with fried fish. The fries are fried in extra virgin olive oil.

Rosada is a white fish, flaky but firm, very tasty.

Fried Fish Sticks

Buchones de Rosada

These fish sticks or fish fingers are not made with processed fish, like the frozen ones. The whole fillet of rosada is cut crosswise into strips, so their length and thickness depends on the size of the fillet. Or, cut the fish into smaller pieces and call them “nuggets”. 

Allow time for the fish to marinate in a simplified adobo of lemon juice, garlic and parsley. You can vary the flavorings as desired--oregano, tarragon or cilantro, for example, instead of parsley.

Bread the fish sticks with flour, egg and breadcrumbs. (I've added black sesame seeds to the flour for a little extra crunch.)

Serve the fish sticks with any favorite sauce. In Málaga, that is usually alioli, garlic mayonnaise. But tartar sauce or romesco, chermoula or chimichurri, remoulade or salsa verde, they’re all good. 

Cut fillets crosswise into strips.

Makes approx. 18 (4-inch) fish sticks.

1 ¼ pounds rosada or other firm white fish fillets

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon sesame seed (optional)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs

Olive oil for frying

Fish marinates in adobo of lemon and garlic.

Cut the fish fillets crosswise into strips about 1 inch wide. Place them in a non-reactive container. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper, the parsley, garlic and lemon juice. Gently mix the pieces of fish with the adobo ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Remove the fish from the adobo, leaving any parsley or garlic that clings to it. Drain the fish and pat the pieces dry with paper toweling. 

Dark specks in flour are black sesame seed.

Combine the flour, cornstarch, sesame, if using, and ½ teaspoon of salt in a shallow bowl or tray. Place the eggs in another bowl and the breadcrumbs in a third bowl. 

Dredge the strips of fish first in flour, patting off the excess. Dip them in egg, coating on all sides. Lift them out of the egg with a fork, allowing excess to drip off. 

Let breaded fish dry before frying.

Place them in the crumbs. Turn the pieces in the crumbs to coat well. Lift them onto a sheet pan covered in parchment. Allow the strips to dry at room temperature up to 30 minutes or, refrigerated, uncovered, up to 4 hours.

In a heavy skillet place the oil to a depth of ¾ inch and heat on medium-high. Fry the pieces of fish until golden-brown on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. 

Serve the fish sticks hot, room temperature or cold.

More versions of fried fish:

Mixed Fish Fry, Málaga Style.

Beer-Battered Fried Fish with Sour Orange Sauce.

Batter-Fried Cod (Soldaditos Pavia) with Piquillo Alioli.

Pan-Fried Hake with Pisto.

Marinated Fried Fish (Adobo).