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Jalea and Salsa Criolla

https://www.sorghumcheckoff.com/recipes/jalea-and-salsa-criolla/

  • Gluten Free icon
Jalea and Salsa Criolla recipe

Prep Time

1 Hours

Make Time

30 Minutes

Yield

2-4 servings

Sorghum Form

Seafood Fried in Sorghum Batter with salsa

Jalea is a classic Peruvian dish bursting with flavor and texture. With it’s composition being influenced by Peru’s natural ingredients and resources as well as it’s colonial and historic past. With a mix of influence from native Peruvian peppers to ingredients and techniques brought to the new world from the Spain and Africa, jalea is a multicultural dish.

Essentially a dish of fried seafood served with salsa, jalea is a rich and delicious dish for snacking or hosting. Many variations also serve jalea with fried yuca or potatoes.

This version of jalea takes inspiration from the classic jalea build but makes a naturally rich fried seafood dish much lighter by using a sorghum batter. Sorghum’s ability to get crispy while staying extremely light and airy make this the perfect pairing, sorghum even stays crispy longer than traditional batters so you won’t have to worry about sogginess or a loss of texture as you eat.

Ingredients

Sorghum Battered Seafood Ingredients:

  • 1 pound assorted seafood (squid, shrimp, white fish)
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • ¾ cup whole grain sorghum flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sparkling water
  • Oil, for frying

Salsa Criolla Ingredients:

  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 small tomato, diced
  • 1 tablespoon aji amarillo chili paste
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
  • Salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. Salsa Criolla Instructions:
  2. Combine sliced onion, tomato, aji amarillo, lime juice, and cilantro in a bowl. Stir together, and season with salt.
  3. Set aside for later use.

Sorghum Battered Seafood Instructions:

  1. Preheat oil to 375F.
  2. Dry the seafood off with paper towels, and place in a bowl. Add the lime juice, salt, pepper, and garlic into the bowl, stirring to evenly coat the seafood. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. While the seafood is marinating, combine the whole grain sorghum flour, baking powder, paprika, and salt in a mixing bowl.
  4. Slowly whisk in the cold sparkling water until smooth.
  5. Dip the marinated seafood into the batter, then place carefully into the hot oil, avoiding overcrowding the pan. Fry the seafood for 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oil and place on paper towels to drain.

Assembly Method:

  1. On a serving plate place a pile of the sorghum battered seafood.
  2. Top with a handful of the salsa criolla, and spoon additional liquid over the top.
  3. Garnish with additional cilantro and lime wedges, if preferred.

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