Red Snapper Veracruz
After a recent extended stay in Mexico, we found ourselves still craving the delicious flavors from south of the border. We’ve tried many versions of Veracruz style fish but finally landed on a version that we like to make at home. It’s easy to make with, fresh ingredients, and very colorful to serve.
This recipe is versatile in that tilapia or halibut could be substituted for the snapper. It also could be doubled for 4. The filets need to be about 1/3-1/2 each, about 1/2 inch thick.
The first step in this version, roasts a whole poblano. This can be done right over an open flame of a gas stove. Carefully place the poblano on the flame and turn with tongs until all sides are charred. This takes about 5-7 minutes. Be careful over that open flame! Once it is fully charred, place the poblano in a paper bag for about 10 minutes. Once it’s cool enough to touch, removed the charred skin with your fingers. Slice open, remove seeds and dice.
Another option is to simply dice with the veggies and sauté along with the onions and bell pepper. We like the flavor the charred poblano adds.
While the poblano is cooling, chop the bell pepper and onion.
Dice the Roma Tomato
We like the firmness of a Roma tomato for cooking. Other small tomatoes could be used as well.
After dicing the tomato, slice the olives. If you choose delicious olives, a few are sure to end up as a cooking snack.
Once all the veggies are prepped, salt and pepper the fish. Heat the pan with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Once it’s hot add the fish.
Cook the Snapper on both sides
This should only take a few minutes to cook on each side. The fish should be brown and firm to the touch in the middle. Don’t over cook or it will be dry. Remove and set aside.
Reheat the same skillet, adding a bit more olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering add the onion and bell pepper.
Once the onion and bell pepper are soft, add the roasted poblano and capers. Use a bit of caper juice for added flavor.
Add oregano and a bay leaf. Try to find Mexican oregano, if not Italian oregano works just fine too.
After adding the tomatoes and olives, the final step is to squeeze the juice of half a lime into the sauce. Stir all together. Add salt and pepper if desired.
That’s it. This pulls together really, fast for a flavorful delicious main course.
Veracruz style fish comes from the state of Veracruz which is on the gulf side of Mexico. This dish has origins back to Spain and pre-colonial Mexico, which gives it a Mediterranean flair. On this beautiful night we served it in a shallow bowl with a 1/4 scoop of rice on top and enjoyed eating outside on the patio.
Red Snapper Veracruz
Ingredients
- 1lb red snapper, cut into two filets
- 1 poblano, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Olive oil, divided
- 8 green (Greek)Olives, sliced
- 1 tablespoon Capers with a bit of juice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 freshly squeezed lime
Instructions
- Salt and pepper the fish. Heat 1 tbsp oil over medium high heat until shimmering.. Place the filets in skin side down. Cook for about 4-5 minutes depending on how thick the fish is. Turn and cook 2-3 minutes more. Remove to a dish and keep warm.
- Reduce the heat in the pan to medium. Add 1 tsp more olive oil to the pan. Add onion and red bell pepper Sautee until soft. Add poblano and capers (with their juice) incorporating into the mixture. Add the diced tomatoes. Next add the garlic and the spices.
- Once all the veggies are incorporated add chicken broth. Cook for a minute or two until most of the broth has absorbed. Finish with squeezing in the lime juice, stirring all the incorporate. Correct with salt and pepper as desired.
- Place the fish in individual bowls. Spoon sauce over each portion of fish. Serve with a 1/4 cup scoop of rice on top. Enjoy!
