Fish Veracruz Recipes

VERACRUZ-STYLE RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion; cook and stir until onions begin to turn translucent, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Cook and stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add capers and caper juice; stir to combine.
• Stir in tomatoes, olives, jalapeno pepper, . Cook and stir until jalapeno pepper softens and tomatoes begin to collapse, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in oregano.
• Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil into a small baking dish. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of the tomato-olive mixture. Top with 1 snapper fillet, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Top with more filling and juice from 1 lime. Repeat with remaining snapper fillet, seasoning, and lime juice in a second baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until fish is flaky and no longer translucent, 15 to 20 minutes.

VERACRUZ STYLE WHITE FISH

Steps:

• PREPARING THE SAUCE
• Over medium heat, fry the onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons of cooking oil for 4 minutes.
• Add the tomato, black pepper, and salt.
• Reduce the heat to low and cook the sauce for 15 minutes until the tomatoes have given off much of their liquid.
• Then, crush the tomatoes, onion, and garlic with a bean or potato masher.
• Next, add the spices and stir.
• Add the chicken broth.
• Add the chopped olives and capers and stir. Simmer for 15 more minutes.
• COOKING THE FISH
• After the sauce has simmered for 15 minutes, start cooking the fish. In a separate pan over medium heat, lightly brown each side of the fish in 3 tablespoons of oil.
• Once you have browned the fish on both sides, place each fish fillet in the simmering sauce.
• Cook for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly and the fish is fully cooked and has taken on the flavor of the sauce.
• Check the flavor of the sauce and adjust the salt if necessary.
• SERVING
• Serve the fish with white rice. First, put the rice on the plate then place the fish next to the rice. Gently spoon about 1 cup of the sauce over the fish and serve immediately.

VERACRUZ-STYLE TILAPIA ("PESCADO A LA VERACRUZANA")

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the fish fillets on both sides with salt and black pepper, to taste. Saute the fillets until they are opaque and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the fish to a glass baking dish where they fit snugly.
• In the same saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, Anaheim chile, bay leaf and oregano and bring the pan to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and let the sauce simmer until the chiles soften, about 6 minutes. Uncover the pan, add the olives and capers, and cook until the flavors combine, about 4 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Pour the sauce over the fish in the baking dish. Bake until the fish is heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven, discard the bay leaf and serve.

FISH VERACRUZANA

Steps:

• Put potatoes through thick slicing blade of food processor.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in non-stick skillet or 3 tablespoons in regular skillet. Saute onions over medium high heat until they begin to take on color. Push to the side and add potatoes. Cook, stirring often, until potatoes begin to take on color.
• Put bell peppers and chilies through thick slicing blade of food processor . Add to potatoes with lime juice, garlic and black pepper. Reduce heat and cook until potatoes and peppers are beginning to soften.
• Chop cilantro and add 1/3 cup to skillet, along with tomato puree and fish. Cover fish with vegetables and cook until fish is done, about 8 minutes, depending on thickness of fish.
• Serve the fish with the remaining chopped cilantro for garnish and the lime wedges.

PESCADO VERACRUZANO (BAKED FISH VERACRUZ STYLE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Squeeze lime and rub fish with juice. Coarsely chop lime rind and put in cavity. Sprinkle fish inside and out with pepper. Place in baking dish.
• Heat oil in saucepan and add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until wilted. Add green peppers and stir briefly. Add oregano, pepper flakes and tomatoes. Bring to boil and let cook about 10 minutes.
• Pour sauce over fish and place in oven. Bake, basting often with sauce, about 30 minutes or until done. When cooked, back fin bones will slip out easily when tugged. Brush fish with sauce and serve.