Moroccan · Seafood
Casablanca Mixed Fried Seafood Platter
The seafood friture of Casablanca's port cafés: a golden heap of squid rings, small fish, prawns and hake bites dredged in seasoned flour and fried crisp, served with fried green peppers, lemon and a garlicky chermoula dip. It's fast-food by the Atlantic, eaten with fingers and a cold drink.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 300 g squid, cleaned and sliced into rings
- 300 g small whole fish (whiting or smelt), cleaned
- 250 g prawns, shell on
- 300 g hake, cut into bite chunks
- 200 g flour
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- Oil for deep frying
- 2 green peppers, whole
- 2 lemons, wedged
- Chermoula, to dip
- Salt
Method
- 1
Dry the seafood
Pat all the seafood very dry — wet seafood spits and won't crisp.
- 2
Season the flour
Mix the flour with the cumin, paprika and plenty of salt.
- 3
Heat the oil
Heat the frying oil to 180°C.
- 4
Dredge and fry
Dredge each piece in seasoned flour, shake off the excess, and fry in batches until golden and crisp, keeping the oil hot.
- 5
Fry the peppers
Fry the whole green peppers briefly until blistered.
- 6
Drain and serve
Drain on paper, salt at once, and pile up with the peppers, lemon wedges and chermoula for dipping.
Chef's tips
- Fry in small batches so the oil stays hot and the coating shatters crisp.
- Don't over-flour — a thin dusting is all you want.
- Serve immediately; fried seafood softens fast as it sits.
Frequently asked questions
What fish should I use?
Whatever small and firm white fish is fresh — whiting, smelt, hake, red mullet. A mix of textures, plus squid and prawns, is the whole point of a friture.
How do I keep squid tender?
Fry it hot and fast — a minute or two only. Overcooked squid turns rubbery, so pull it the moment the coating is golden.