Spicy Blackened Fish Sandwiches

This fish sandwich has the perfect combination of spicy and saltiness. The fish is dipped in butter, then coated with a spicy yet delicious mixture and fried on a hot skillet. The melted butter cooks off creating a sort of spice crust. After cooking, a sprinkling of Queso Cotija is added giving the fish fillets an added depth of flavor.
Combined with an herb speckled Chipotle Crema Mexicana and fresh bread, the spiciness of the fish is met with the perfect amount of freshness. This is a wonderful meal that can be shared with friends and family that doesn’t involve too much prep work. While this recipe is absolutely delicious in sandwich form, it can also be served as a main dish. Serve the fish over lime and cilantro rice with a drizzle of the herbed Chipotle Crema sauce for a completely different yet delectable meal. If you are don’t have time to make the Chipotle Crema yourself, try Cacique’s new Chipotle Squeeze Cream. It is equally delicious and you will have leftovers to spruce up those ham sandwiches!
WHAT YOU NEED
- 5 Fillets of white or red fish- Cod, Tilapia, etc
- 1/2 tablespoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Ancho Chili Pepper
- 4 teaspoons butter, melted
- 1/4 cup Cacique Queso Cojita Grated Cheese, for Garnish
- Chipotle Herb Spread
- 1/2 cup Cacique Crema Mexicana
- 1 small chipotle (in adobo sauce), finely diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon green onions, finely diced
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 5 Ciabatta Buns
- Lettuce and Sliced Tomatoes for sandwich garnish
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Heat a heavy cast iron pan on high heat until extremely hot, about 10 minutes.
- In a small sized bowl, combine all spices. Pour melted butter into a shallow dish. Dip each fillet into butter, turning once to coat both sides. Sprinkle both sides of fillets with spice mixture, and gently pat mixture onto fish.
- Sauté in a very hot skillet until blackened, only a few minutes per side. Turn and repeat on other side. Remove from pan and sprinkle with Cacique Queso Cojita Grated Cheese.
- To make the Chipotle Herb Spread, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to use.
- To assemble sandwiches, spread top half of each bun evenly with Chipotle Herb Sauce. Place 1 lettuce leaf and 1 tomato slice on bottom half of each bun; top each with fish fillets and top halves of buns.