Getting the kids to eat fish it can be domestic hell. Especially when we are more afraid of preparing fish and the risk of bones than the children themselves.
For this reason, from time to time finding a recipe with fish that is kinder to children is always good, which is what has happened when we have found this recipe for ‘little soldiers’ that Karlos Arguiñano has recommended on his program, accompanied by a sauce of peas and asparagus.
The curious thing, as happens every time we make fish at home, is that we usually refer to them with the common names and rarely with scientific names. It is not strange, obviously, because knowing the scientific name of hake, cod or salmon is not going to be very useful to us on a day-to-day basis unless we are ichthyologists or biologists.
Although the reality is that it is something very practical, especially so that really know what we are buying in our markets, since all fish must have certain information on their label. Among this, the fishing method with which it has been caught, the area and, what concerns us in this case, which is the scientific name.
That’s why we were surprised find Karlos Arguiñano preparing fried soldiers and, furthermore, recommend it as a perfect fish for children, since you only have to remove the central spine to enjoy them.
What fish are the ‘little soldiers’
However, if you are terrified of not finding ‘little soldiers’ in your markets, you should know that it is a common form in which this type of flat fish in the fishmongers of San Sebastiánalthough beyond the Gipuzkoan borders it is an uncommon name for this species.
The truth is that Karlos Arguiñano is referring to the popular Dicologlossa cuneatawhich is none other than the popular sourdoughs, which are widely known and are cooked in abundance in the kitchens of Cádiz and Sevilleespecially within the fried fish, where they are quite the protagonists.
Not too expensive – although it is not a cheap fish – this flat fish lends itself well to batters and fryingespecially when it is medium-sized, which is why Karlos Arguiñano has also opted for this species, which is found quite easily throughout Spain, in his program.
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Flat fish, with an oval and narrow bodythe hearthocks have their eyes on the right side of the body —as it happens with turbot or sole— and have a chestnut brown color, more or less light, while the blind side is white, reaching sizes of up to 25 centimeters in length, although the most common is that they do not exceed 10 or 12 centimeters.
However, the most curious thing about the recipe and this little cartoon is that really in the Andalusian ports there is a fish that is known as a soldier or as soldier sole and it is that the Microchirus azeviadespite the fact that Karlos Arguiñano has in any case referred to the fish that he has cooked as heartburn.
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