Pescado a la diabla is a traditional Mexican seafood dish made with fish fillets smothered and cooked in a fiery tomato-based sauce. It is flavorful, easy to make, and perfect for dinner.
Place guajillo and chile de árbol in a bowl, and cover them with hot water. Leave them to soak for 10 minutes.
Place tomatoes, onion, and garlic on a baking sheet. Drizzle everything with a little bit of olive oil.
Preheat the broil in your oven.
Place the tray under the broil and roast for 7-8 minutes or until onions are nicely charred and tomatoes have softened.
Remove chilies from the water and place them in a blender along with roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, thyme, and oregano.
Add 1 ½ cups of water and blend until smooth.
Place about ½ cup of all-purpose flour on a flat plate.
Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper, then lightly flour them on both sides.
Heat a bit of olive oil over medium heat in a non-stick pan.
Pan-fry the fillets for about 3 minutes on one side, then gently flip them and fry until lightly golden and crisp.
Carefully remove the fish from the pan and transfer it to a plate. Set aside.
Add the red chile sauce to the pan and bring to a simmer.
Season with salt and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the sauce thickens a little bit.
Carefully, return the cooked fish to the pan and cook for 3 minutes basting the fillets with the spicy chili sauce and making sure they’re nicely immersed.
Divide the fish fillets into serving plates, drizzle with plenty of sauce, sprinkle with chopped cilantro, and serve.
Notes
If you want a mild-spicy dish, add less chile de arbol to the sauce.
Soak and rehydrate the chili peppers before blending them to make a smoother sauce.
Deseed the chilies as the seeds can add slightly bitter notes to the sauce.