Piská Kòrá (Fried Red Snapper)

Piská kòrá means "red fish" in Papiamentu, and on Curaçao it usually means red snapper, the prized catch pulled from the calm, clear waters of the island's leeward coast. It is one of the most traditional plates on the island and a direct taste of the sea. Whole snapper is either fried until the skin crisps and the flesh stays moist, or stewed Krioyo style in a tomato-and-onion sauce sharpened with sweet pepper, garlic, and lime.

The fried version is the everyday favourite: the fish is scored, seasoned, and fried whole, then served simply so the freshness does the talking. The stewed version, sometimes called piská stoba, swaps crispness for a savoury sauce that the fish soaks up. Either way, the appeal is the quality of the catch. The sheltered south and west coast keeps the water calm and the fishing reliable, which is why fish features so heavily in island cooking.

What is on the plate

Snapper is usually served with a cornmeal side and a starch. Common partners are funchi, pan bati, fried plantain, or boiled banana, often with a small salad on the side.

• Order it at a beachside spot or a Krioyo restaurant near the coast, where the fish is freshest.
• The fishing village atmosphere around the leeward beaches, such as the small fish market at Playa Grandi, shows where this catch comes from.

For the truest version, eat your snapper close to the water, fried whole, with a wedge of lime and a side of funchi.