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Peruvian Mixed Seafood Jalea (Jalea Mixta)
by Giacomo Bocchio
recipe medium Peruvian

Peruvian Mixed Seafood Jalea (Jalea Mixta)

A classic Peruvian cevichería dish: crispy fried fish fillets as a base, topped with a generous mound of fried mixed seafood — squid, pota, octopus, scallops, snails, prawns, and shrimp — all marinated in a potent garlic-citrus marinade and coated in a 60/40 flour-cornstarch mix. Finished with a fresh salsa criolla with tomato, corn, and lime juice, fried yuca on the side, and Peruvian-style tartar sauce. Taught by Giacomo Bocchio.

30m Prep
20m Cook
50m Total
4 Servings
jalea jalea mixta seafood fried seafood pescado frito cevicheria mariscos crispy peruvian coastal giacomo bocchio

Ingredients

Accompaniments
  • Yuca (cassava), fried (boiled then fried)
  • Chifles (fried green banana chips) (store-bought or homemade; traditionally cut on the bias) optional
Fish Base
  • 3 fillets White fish fillets (e.g., sole, flounder, or similar) (seasoned with salt and fresh lime juice)
  • Salt
  • Fresh lime juice (freshly squeezed)
Frying
  • Vegetable oil (for deep frying) (heated to 180°C)
Frying Coating
  • 60 % All-purpose flour (mixed with cornstarch in 60/40 ratio)
  • 40 % Cornstarch (maicena) (mixed with flour in 60/40 ratio)
  • 4 units Eggs (beaten; added to seafood bowl just before coating in flour)
Marinade
  • Potent garlic-citrus marinade (from chicharrón de pota recipe) (see Giacomo's chicharrón de pota video for full marinade recipe)
Salsa Criolla
  • Red onion (finely sliced, briefly rinsed in water to remove sulfur)
  • Tomato (diced or sliced)
  • Cooked corn kernels (choclo tiernito) (freshly boiled)
  • Fresh cilantro (culantro macho) (roughly chopped)
  • Lime juice with salt (freshly squeezed, seasoned with salt)
Seafood Mixtura
  • Squid (calamar) (cleaned, cut into rings or pieces)
  • Pota (giant squid) (cleaned, cut into pieces similar in size to pota chicharrón)
  • Octopus tentacles (cut on the bias (al sesgo))
  • Scallops (conchas de abanico) with coral (coral left on or removed per preference; seasoned with salt)
  • Sea snails (caracoles) (cleaned)
  • Prawns (langostinos) (peeled and deveined)
  • Shrimp (camarones) (for decoration mainly) optional
Tartar Sauce
  • Mayonnaise (maicena brand preferred)
  • Green onion (cebolla china) (finely chopped)
  • Fresh parsley (finely chopped)
  • 1 unit Hard-boiled egg (chopped or grated)
  • Red onion (for tartar sauce) (finely diced (brunoise), briefly blanched in water to remove sulfur)
  • American yellow mustard
  • Salt and pepper (for tartar sauce)

Steps

  1. 1
    Prepare the tartar sauce: in a bowl combine a generous amount of mayonnaise with finely chopped green onion, finely chopped parsley, chopped or grated hard-boiled egg, finely diced red onion (briefly rinsed in water to remove sulfur), a dash of American mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix well with a spatula until thoroughly combined. The texture should be chunky and thick — more texture than smooth mayonnaise sauce. Set aside.
    Tip: Giacomo prefers tartar with lots of texture — more body than sauce consistency.
    ~10 min
  2. 2
    Season the fish fillets with salt and freshly squeezed lime juice on both sides. The lime juice lifts the natural flavors of the fish. Let sit briefly while preparing the seafood.
    ~3 min
  3. 3
    Prepare the seafood mixtura: in a large bowl combine the squid, pota (cut into pieces), octopus tentacles (cut on the bias), scallops with or without coral per preference, sea snails, prawns, and shrimp. Season the whole bowl with salt and fresh lime juice. Toss well, taste, and adjust. Add the potent garlic-citrus marinade (from the chicharrón de pota recipe — see Giacomo's earlier video for the full marinade). Mix thoroughly, cover with plastic film, and refrigerate for 10–15 minutes minimum (up to 40 minutes while the pork jalea is being prepared).
    Tip: The scallop coral can be left on for flavor. If not using it, sauté the coral separately with garlic, white wine, and cream for a fantastic seafood sauce.
    ~15 min
  4. 4
    Prepare the frying coating: mix all-purpose flour and cornstarch in a 60% to 40% ratio. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan or fryer to 180°C.
    Tip: Chuño (potato starch) can be used instead of cornstarch — it gives extra crunch but may leave white spots on the fried pieces.
    ~5 min
  5. 5
    Fry the fish fillets: beat 4 eggs and add them to the bowl with the marinated seafood mixtura, mix well. Remove the fish fillets from their salt-lime marinade, dip them in the egg-marinade mixture, then coat in the flour-cornstarch mix (shake off excess). Gently lower into the 180°C oil and fry until golden and crispy. Drain and keep warm.
    Tip: Always lower seafood and fish gently into the hot oil without dropping to avoid splashing.
    ~8 min
  6. 6
    Fry the seafood mixtura: using the same egg-marinade bowl, coat the marinated seafood pieces in the egg mixture, then dredge in the flour-cornstarch mix and shake off excess. Fry in 180°C oil in batches until golden and crispy. Drain well.
    ~10 min
  7. 7
    Prepare the salsa criolla: combine finely sliced red onion (briefly rinsed), diced tomato, freshly cooked corn kernels, and chopped fresh cilantro. Season with salted lime juice. Toss gently. The tomato is optional in traditional criolla but Giacomo recommends it — it pairs exceptionally well with jalea.
    ~5 min
  8. 8
    Plate the jalea mixta: place the fried fish fillets as a base in the center of a large plate. Add fried yuca and/or chifles around the sides. Using clean hands or tongs, pile the fried seafood mixtura on top of the fish, building it as high as possible. Spoon the salsa criolla generously over the top. Add dollops of tartar sauce on the side or on top. Finish with extra fresh cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.
    Tip: Lime juice squeezed over fried food at the table is a must — it always elevates the dish.
    ~5 min

Nutrition (per serving)

520
Calories
32g
Protein
42g
Carbs
22g
Fat
3g
Fiber
Cultural Context
Jalea is one of the most iconic dishes of Peruvian cevicherías, second only to ceviche itself in popularity. The word 'jalea' does not come from the French 'gelée' but from the Mochica language — the pre-Columbian culture of northern Peru (Lambayeque, Piura) — where it referred to a method of preserving and preparing fish: large pieces were sun-dried and then finished over coals. Over centuries this evolved into the modern deep-fried preparation. A jalea mixta combines fried fish with a 'mixtura' of assorted fried seafood piled on top, served with salsa criolla and tartar sauce. It is a quintessential communal lunch dish, emblematic of Peruvian coastal food culture.
Video thumbnail
Giacomo Bocchio
TE ENSEÑO A PREPARAR UNA JALEA MIXTA PERUANA Y NOVEDOSA JALEA DE CERDO ¦ GIACOMO BOCCHIO
Watch on YouTube →
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