Fried Fish with Peruvian Lentil Stew

Sort and rinse the lentils. Place them in a pot with the water, bring to a boil, and cook over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until tender but still holding their shape. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.

While the lentils cook, chop the onion and tomato. Heat one-fifth of the vegetable oil in a skillet and cook the onion for 5 to 6 minutes, until soft and lightly golden. Add a little over half of the garlic, the ají panca paste, tomato, cumin, oregano, and half of the salt; cook for another 5 minutes, until the tomato breaks down and the sofrito becomes thick, glossy, and free of raw chili aroma.

Add the sofrito to the lentils together with the potato, cut into medium cubes. Cook everything together over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potato is tender and the lentils are rich and saucy, with enough liquid to coat a spoon without becoming soupy.

While the lentils finish, pat the fish fillets very dry. Season them with the remaining garlic, the black pepper, and the remaining salt. Lightly coat them with the flour, shaking off all excess.

Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the fish in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning only once, until deeply golden and crisp outside while flaking easily inside. Remove it as soon as it reaches that point so it does not dry out.

Serve the hot lentils with the cooked white rice and place the freshly fried fish on top or alongside, without burying it in the stew. And that is it! The spoon should find saucy lentils and tender potato; the fork should still find crisp fish. That is lentil Monday done right. 😌