Directions

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.)

5. Serve immediately on warm tortillas and garnish with the olives, capers, pickled jalapeños, and parsley.