We're heading to the Gulf with this Veracruz classic, a special dish featuring fish poached in a briny, flavorful tomato sauce. Whole snapper (quickly cured in lime and salt) is traditional, but feel free to substitute filets of snapper, cod, or any flaky white fish. It's the kind of dish that feels special without trying too hard. Serve it straight from the pan with warm tortillas or over rice, and don't forget a cold drink. This one's sunshine in a pan.
1 (16-24 oz) whole red snapper (scaled and gutted) or filets of other white fish such as cod
Juice of 2 limes
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup olive oil
16 cloves garlic (10 cloves whole, 6 cloves finely chopped)
½ medium white onion, finely chopped
1 28oz can tomato puree (3 ¼ cups)
4 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed, chopped
2 tbsp capers
½ cup green olives, pitted and halved
Corn tortillas
½ cup pitted green olives, sliced
5 tbsp capers
Pickled jalapeños
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
Rinse the fish and pat dry. If using a whole fish, cut slits into the skin down to the bone. Rub with lime juice, and season all over with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch over or large, wide saucepan over medium heat. (Your saucepan should be large enough to fit the body of the fish — you may choose to remove the head or tail to make it fit.) Add the whole garlic cloves and sauté for 1 minute, then remove them. Add the onion and chopped garlic, along with 1 tsp of salt, and sauté for 5 minutes or until translucent.
Add the tomato puree and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the capers, olives, and ½ cup water, and continue cooking for 10 more minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.
Remove the fish from the refrigerator. Nestle it into the pan containing the sauce (remove the head or tail if needed to fit) and cook, covered, over low heat for 10–15 minutes. To test whether it’s fully cooked, cut a small slit into the center. If the interior flesh is at all translucent, continue cooking. If it’s white, it’s done. (In lieu of cutting into the fish, you can press on the flesh. If it doesn’t bounce back but rather, stays firm, it’s ready.)
Serve immediately on warm tortillas and garnish with the olives, capers, pickled jalapeños, and parsley.
