Snapper Veracruz style

Pescado Veracruzana

Mexican food is so much more than tacos and enchiladas, as I’ve discovered with this dish, Snapper Veracruz style, or Pescado Veracruzana. This recipe comes from the state of Veracruz, located on the Gulf of Mexico, and surrounded by the sea, mountains, lagoons and jungles. It is one of the region’s most famous dishes, combining the fusion of both Spanish and indigenous cultures. The Spanish influence comes from the addition of green olives, capers, and olive oil and the indigenous influence from the use of chiles and tomatoes. The recipe typically uses canned jalapeno peppers, which are cut in strips and soaked in vinegar..

The sauce is very rich and also contains some chocolate and raisins, adding a sweet contrast to the spicy flavors. The Veracruz sauce is very versatile and could be used on chicken or beef dishes as well.

Locals usually use Red Snapper for this dish, however you could also use Sea Bream or any other kind of white fish. This dish presents best if you use a whole fish, but if you want to avoid all the bones, you could also use a fillet.

The recipe includes first marinading the fish, then breaking down the sauce into two steps- Salsa #1 and Salsa #2 – it’s not that complicated and you’ll love all the flavors and the visual presentation!

Marinading the fish

Make three cuts on both sides of the snapper and spread the marinade over the cuts and the rest of the fish. Chill in the fridge for at least 1/2 hour.

Making Salsa #1

To make Salsa #1, cut the two tomatoes and 1/2 red bell pepper into rough slices, cover with water and cook for ten minutes or until the mixture becomes soft. Let cool for several minutes, blitz in a blender, then pass through a sieve until smooth and brilliant looking. Set aside.

Cook chopped tomatoes and bell pepper until soft

Making Salsa #2

This is the step where all of your ingredients will come together, including Salsa #1 (above). First, place the three tomatoes briefly in boiling water, transfer to icy water to cool, then peel back the skins. Cut into thin strips, then into 1/4 ” cubes (cuadritos). Set aside.

Cook the onion and green bell pepper strips until soft; add the garlic and bundle of herbs. Add the remaining ingredients, including the liquid sauce from Salsa #1, olives, capers, chocolate, and cubed tomatoes. Cook for 5-10 minutes until all flavors are infused and the sauce becomes a rich reddish-brown color.

Place some sauce on the bottom of a baking pan, place the fish on top and cover with the remaining sauce. Add some sherry and olive oil on top. Bake at 350 F. for 20-25 minutes until done.

Snapper Vera Cruz style
Print Recipe
Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 Whole Snapper or Sea Bass

¼ cup lemon juice

3 garlic cloves, diced

2 Tbsps. onion, chopped

¼ cup olive oil

Salt/pepper to taste

Salsa 1

2 medium tomatoes

½ red bell pepper

Salsa 2

3 tomatoes

1/3 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp. butter

3 garlic cloves, diced

½ large onion, cut into thin strips

¾ green bell pepper, cut into thin strips

2 Bay leaves

3 sprigs fresh thyme

3 springs fresh oregano

10-12 green pitted olives, sliced into thirds

2 Tbsps. capers

½ cup white wine

3 Tbsps. raisins

2 Tbsps. (or more) canned jalapeno chiles, cut into thin strips

3 Tbsps flaked almonds

1 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

Final Garnish

2 Tbsps. olive oil

1/3 cup sherry

Instructions

1

Prepare the whole fish by removing the dorsal and ventral fins and the scales. Make three diagonal cuts on each side of the fish, making sure not to cut through the bone.

2

To make the marinade, add the diced garlic, chopped onion, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper into a blender. Process until all ingredients are well blended. Using a spoon, spread the marinade over each side of the fish, making sure the mixture goes inside of the cuts. Place the fish on a plate, cover with plastic film and refrigerate for ½ hour.

3

For the Salsa 1, roughly cut up the two tomatoes and ½ red bell pepper. Place in a fry pan or Dutch oven, cover with water and cook for 10 minutes or until the ingredients become soft. Let cool for a few minutes, then pulse in a blender. Now pass through a sieve until the mixture is smooth; set aside.

4

For the Salsa 2, remove the cores from the three tomatoes, then place an ‘x’ on the bottom of each. Place in boiling water for 30 seconds or until the skins start to loosen. Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and place in ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking of the tomatoes. Once cool, carefully remove the tomato skins. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and remove the seeds and excess pulp. Cut the tomatoes into thin strips then into ¼ " cubes ('cuadritos').

5

In a large fry pan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter, then add the onion strips and green bell pepper strips, salt and pepper, and cook for about ten minutes until soft. Wrap the bay leaves, fresh thyme and oregano in a string; add to the pan along with the minced garlic. Add the capers and sliced green olives and white wine and cook for a few minutes until the alcohol evaporates. Add the diced tomatoes and liquified tomatoes from Salsa #1 (above) and stir in the chocolate until melted.

6

Remove the herbs tied in the string, and add the remaining ingredients: raisins, flaked almonds, and sliced canned jalapeno peppers. Cook further until the sauce is red and brilliant looking. Remove the fish from the fridge and brush off the excess marinade. Add a little of the sauce to the bottom of a large baking dish, then add the fish on top. Cover the fish with the remaining sauce (be careful not to ‘drown’ the fish with too much sauce) and add a little sherry and olive oil on top. Cover the fish with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 F.

April 7, 2022 By Fran Flint

Shrimp Albóndigas (Albóndigas de Camarón) Chocolate Gelato Decadence

About Fran Flint

I've lived in Paris, Adelaide and San Diego and love to create tasty recipes from around the world!

8 Comments

Angie@Angie's Recipes

April 7, 2022 at 11:24 am

I love snapper! This is a unique and delicious dish and I love that sauce, which sounds really great with the snapper.

kitchenriffs

April 7, 2022 at 11:35 am

Terrific dish! I think seafood dishes from Vera Cruz are wonderful. I also find that people who don’t “like” Mexican (or Tex-Mex) tend to find Vera Cruz-style dishes acceptable — less spicy, a bit more European (for lack of a better term). Anyway, super recipe — thanks.

Snapper Veracruz style

Pescado Veracruzana

Marinading the fish

Making Salsa #1

Making Salsa #2