Pescado a la Veracruzana
If you have been following my blog for a while, you probably know by now that I was born in a sea port city, Ensenada in Baja California is a beautiful city very well known because its excellent and very fresh seafood and fish. When I was growing up, we used to eat quite a lot of fish and this recipe was one those recipes that my dad would cook over and over again. It is call Pescado a la Veracruzana, Veracruz style fish, because it’s originally from the state of Veracruz, a place on the golf of Mexico, but it is so popular, that everybody cooks it and everyone has its own version of it, I’m sure my dad’s version is not the original recipe, but it tastes delicious and it has the majority of the ingredients from the original recipe.
Traditionally this recipe is cooked with a whole huachinango (red snapper) and it is place in the oven, but I make it with red fish fillets and I fried the fish first as my children like it like this, but the sauce is the way my dad used to make it. It is a delicious recipe and a great way to eat fish for those who don’t like the taste or smell of fish (like my daughter).
Love,
Karla x
Pescado a la Veracruzana
Ingredients
- 4 red fish fillets skin on, medium size
- 2 red bell peppers finely diced
- ½ white onion finely diced
- 3 tomatoes medium, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove peleed and chopped
- ¼ cup capers whole
- ½ cup green olives sliced
- 4 slices pickled jalapeños chopped
- 1 tbsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 bayleaf
- ¼ cup rapeseed oil
- ¼ cup white wine any type of white wine is fine
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup all purpose white flour to dust the fish before frying
Instructions
- Heat 3 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large saucepan to medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and fry for 3 minutes, then add white wine and let the onion and garlic cook in the wine for about 2 minutes, this is going to make the alcohol in the wine evaporate.
- Once the wine has reduced, add the tomatoes and red bell peppers and cook for 3 minutes, then add the oregano, bay leaf, capers, olives, jalapeños, ½ tsp salt and water. Simmer gently in low heat for around 15 minutes, making sure to stir from time to time. Once the sauce is cooked, set aside.
- Mix the rest of the salt and ground black pepper with the white flour. Dry the fish fillets with a paper kithchen towel. Then dust the fish with the flour. Set aside for a minute.
- Heat the rest of the oil on a large frying pan to medium heat. When the oil is hot, place the fillets, skin down, pressing them for a few seconds, very carefully, with your hand to avoid curl up. Fry for 2 minutes on each side on medium heat. While the fish is frying, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius fan assisted, gas mark 4.
- Then place some of the sauce on a glass bakind dish, place the fish fillets on top and top them with the rest of the sauce. Place them in the oven for 10 min. Serve with white rice and enjoy with your family.
Notes
I would love to hear if you liked this recipe, tag me on social media #mexicanfoodmemories to see your creations. And if you want to learn to make this recipe and more, join me in one of my Mexican Cooking Classes.
Listo!
Provecho! x
