I decided to make fry fish because I couldn't find any other recipe for a main course that sounded very good. Many of the most typical Aruban dishes contain ingredients I don't eat (e.g. seafood other than white fish) or that I just wasn't in the mood for (e.g. goat). Plus I like fish and I hadn't really eaten any in a long time.

Unfortunately, this recipe really didn't work for me. Part of it was really my fault. Once again I discovered at the last minute that I did not have the tomato paste required by the sauce, so I skipped it. This meant that rather than a sauce I ended up with chopped veggies on top of the fish. Furthermore, the veggies were still crunchy (undercooked), despite the fact that I cooked them for much longer than the recipe required. The fish itself (I used catfish, the recipe didn't specify which type to use) was fine, specially when you added some lime juice. But then again, I think that white fish really doesn't need anything beyond lime (or lemon) juice to be good.

The original recipe called was for 1/4 lb. of fish - in other words, a very, very small fish. I made 4 8+ oz. filets, and therefore I multiplied all the ingredients by 8. I'm not sure if that was the most appropriate thing to do, but I didn't know how else to adjust the quantities.

The recipe below reflects what I made plus the last step (adding the tomato paste) which I skipped.

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Pisca Hasa

Ingredients

4 8-oz white fish filet

2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup lime juice

2 onions, chopped

3 tomatoes, chopped

2 small green peppers (or 1 large one), chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

4 tbsp. butter

4 tbsp. peanut oil.

4 tbsp. vinegar

4 tbsp. tomato paste

1/4 cup water

Instructions

Clean the fish if needed. Sprinkle with salt and lime juice. Let marinate for 1/2 hour.

In a frying pan, heat butter and oil. Fry the fish until done, it should turn brownish in color. Take out the fish and leave aside. Add onions and garlic to the butter/oil combination and fry until golden. Add tomatoes and peppers and cook until soft. Return fish to the pan.

Mix vinegar, tomato paste and water and add to the pan. Mix and cook for 3-4 mnutes on low fire. Serve.

See the original recipe.