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Huachinango A La Veracruzana
Red snapper is one of the more popular fish; native to the waters off of Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Caribbean Sea, it has long been an important ingredient in the cuisines of the region and is becoming more popular in the United States and elsewhere around the world in recent years.
In the Mexican state of Veracruz, located along the southwest of the Gulf of Mexico, red snapper is particularly popular and it is often made with a spicy tomato sauce enriched with green olives and capers. It is a bit different than most fish dishes, but the flavor is absolutely amazing.
The sauce is a complex blend of flavors, including nutmeg, garlic, oregano and jalapenos along with tomatoes, capers and olives which come together to create an intriguing harmony of tastes. The fish itself may be either fried or baked whole; in this recipe it is baked, but you can fry the fish instead if you prefer.
Red Snapper, Veracruz Style
Ingredients -
3 lbs whole red snapper
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
small pinch of nutmeg
1 onion sliced
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
½ cup tomato sauce
3 tomatoes seeded and diced, coarsely chopped
¼ cup oil
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried oregano
5 jalapenos (canned) roughly chopped
2 tablespoons capers
10 green olives, quartered
Preparation:
Clean and scale the fish, leaving the head and tail. Prick the fish all over on both sides with a fork and lay the fish in a baking dish.
Stir the lime juice, nutmeg, half of the garlic, salt and pepper together and pour over the fish and refrigerate for an hour to marinate.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the onions; once they become translucent, add the rest of the garlic, and continue to cook until the garlic is soft, stirring regularly.
Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce, jalapenos, olives, capers, oregano and bay leaf and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees while you prepare the sauce.
Place the fish in a different shallow dish, cover with the sauce and bake for 35 minutes, turning the fish at the halfway point. Serve hot with rice and beans on the side.
(Serves 6)
Photo Description:
If you have never tried Mexican style fish dishes before, then you are definitely in for a treat with this red snapper Veracruzana recipe. Even if you find red snapper and tomato sauce to sound like something of an odd combination, all of your reservations will disappear when you try it for yourself. It is a wonderful way to enjoy this old favorite - it is nice to have a change of pace in the kitchen, after all; and this is a particularly interesting spin which is sure to make fans at your dinner table.
