A golden mound of lightly battered, deep-fried mixed seafood, fish, squid, shrimp and mussels, piled on fried yuca and crowned with zesty salsa criolla and lime.
Jalea is the coastal Peruvian fried-seafood platter found in cevicherías nationwide — lightly floured fish and shellfish fried crisp and piled with sarsa criolla, the red-onion relish. Shared as a generous appetiser, it is the cevichería's hot counterpart to ceviche.
Shatteringly crisp outside, sweet and juicy within, a mix of ocean textures in one bite. The cool, sharp salsa criolla and a squeeze of lime cut clean through the fry. Salty and citrusy, the kind of plate you keep picking at.
A thin starch coating fried hot and fast seals in seafood moisture and creates crunch, while the acidic raw-onion salsa and lime counter the oil and refresh the palate between bites.
Variations
Jalea mixta (mixed), jalea de pescado (fish only), or chicharron de mariscos style.
On the Palate
Where Jalea sits in the Peruvian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · 25 min
- 110 min
Cut fish into chunks and clean the squid, shrimp and mussels.
- 25 min
Season the seafood with garlic, salt, pepper and a little lime.
- 33 min
Dredge everything lightly in seasoned flour or cornstarch.
Watch outDredge the seafood in just a thin film of starch — a heavy coat goes doughy and gummy instead of shattering-crisp.
- 48 min
Deep-fry in batches in hot oil until crisp and golden.
Watch outFry in small batches in properly hot oil until crisp and golden — dump it all in at once and the oil drops, the crust goes oily and limp.
- 58 min
Fry yuca pieces separately until tender inside, crisp outside.
Watch outGet the yuca crisp outside but fork-tender within — pull it too early and the center stays starchy and hard.
- 61 min
Pile the fried seafood over the fried yuca.
- 71 min
Top generously with fresh salsa criolla.
- 81 min
Serve with lime wedges and aji sauce.
