Cut Out + Keep

Fish Milanese Torta

Torta de milanesa de pescado

https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/fish-milanese-torta • Posted by Phaidon

Preparation time: 25 minutes 
 Cooking time: 10 minutes 
 Serves 2–4 
Tortas, the Mexican sandwiches, are a very common street food. But they are also the default food for picnics, road trips, sports games, and more. In Mexico, teleras and bolillos are the default torta breads. However, bolillos have a French crust and are therefore only good for one day. Teleras are much easier to bake and are more generous with time, lasting a couple of days. Tortas de milanesa tend to be with breaded chicken or beef, but I have always loved the texture of a fish milanesa, crispy and soft. For heat, we tend to add jalapeños in escabeche (page 60) to our tortas, but that is up to you. You can also prepare and serve the milanesa on its own or with some rice and avocado slices.

You will need

Project Budget
Cheap

Time

0 h 25

Difficulty

Nice & Simple
Medium 2019 05 08 123439 113%2bfish%2btorta

Description

Preparation time: 25 minutes 
 Cooking time: 10 minutes 
 Serves 2–4 
Tortas, the Mexican sandwiches, are a very common street food. But they are also the default food for picnics, road trips, sports games, and more. In Mexico, teleras and bolillos are the default torta breads. However, bolillos have a French crust and are therefore only good for one day. Teleras are much easier to bake and are more generous with time, lasting a couple of days. Tortas de milanesa tend to be with breaded chicken or beef, but I have always loved the texture of a fish milanesa, crispy and soft. For heat, we tend to add jalapeños in escabeche (page 60) to our tortas, but that is up to you. You can also prepare and serve the milanesa on its own or with some rice and avocado slices.

Instructions

  1. Cook the fish: Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl, beat the eggs in a separate shallow bowl, and the place the breadcrumbs in a third shallow bowl. Working with one at a time, dredge each fish fillet in the flour, then dip in the eggs, turning to coat and letting excess drip away. Dip in the breadcrumbs, turning to evenly coat.

  2. In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the fish and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

  3. Assemble the tortas: Slice each telera open horizontally. Rub the butter on all the cut sides. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and toast the bread until lightly browned on both sides, about 30 seconds per side.

  4. In a blender or small food processor, blend the mayonnaise with the chipotle. Spread the chipotle mayonnaise on all cut sides of the bread. On the bottom half, place a lettuce leaf, some sliced onion, a breaded fish fillet, tomato slices, and avocado slices. Sprinkle with some salt. Place the top bread on.

  5. Slice in half and serve with escabeche on the side.

  6. Telera Bread Preparation time: 25 minutes, plus 1 hour rising time 
 Cooking time: 20 minutes 
 Makes: 12 teleras Although great for tortas, we also like to serve teleras as a side to soupy dishes like Huevos Rancheros (page 74), since it’s such a good bread for soaking up any leftover plate juices. It is also great just split in half and toasted and spread with some butter and jam. 
Method: Dissolve the instant yeast in 75 ml of the warm water to activate. Set aside. Combine the flour and salt on a work surface and make a well in the centre. Slowly mix in the 240 ml water, the fresh yeast, and the hydrated yeast. Work the dough for 10 minutes until the mix is even and homogenous, adding a bit more water or flour if necessary. The dough should be tacky but not sticky. Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 12 portions (about 80 grams each) and shape into balls. Using your hands, shape each ball into a 1⁄2-inch thick oval about 4 inches (10 cm) long. Place the rolls on a baking sheet. Use a dough scraper or a paring knife to score 2 parallel lines on the top of each roll, lengthwise. Cover with a damp tea towel. Alternatively, cover with plastic wrap (cling film) and refrigerate for up to one day or freeze for up to one month. Once they have doubled in size, about 30 minutes, they are ready to bake. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Spray the dough balls with water and place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until the tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes.