Lunch / Dinner
Veracruz Fish Fillets
Inspired by the cuisine of the Mexican city of Veracruz, this fantastic fish dish will bring plenty of fresh flavor and color to your dinner table. If you like the idea of dining seaside at a bright and sunny resort, you have to try this anywhere, anytime dinner! It’s based on Veracruz-style cuisine, which is famous for joining the flavors of the Mediterranean with those of the Mexican Gulf coast.
This Veracruz recipe uses an unusual cooking method. It involves sautéing one side of the fish to create a light golden crust, then finishing it in the oven to poach in the sauce. The best fish for oven-poaching are thick, meaty-textured ones like grouper, sea bass, or halibut.
The cooking method isn’t the only thing that’s unexpected, so is the way you use the tomato and olive salsa. Add half of the salsa to the pan and cook to combine the flavors. Reserve the other half and add it at the end to preserve its fresh flavor, crisp texture, and vibrant colors.
Ingredients
COMBINE:
SEASON:
ADD:
Test Kitchen Tips
Capers are most commonly sold soaking in brine or dry-packed in sea salt. Brined capers can be used as is, but salt-packed ones should be rinsed.
This recipe also works well with boneless, skinless chicken breasts — they just take a little longer to cook. Sauté the chicken 6 minutes on one side and finish in the oven for 6–10 minutes.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine tomatoes, olives, cilantro, jalapeños, lime juice, and capers; season with salt and pepper.
Season fillets with salt and pepper; dredge one side in flour. Heat oil in an ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high. Add fillets, flour side down, and sauté until browned, 3 minutes. Remove fillets from pan.
Add onion, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Deglaze pan with broth, then add half the tomato mixture.
Nestle fillets in the tomato mixture, browned side up, and roast in oven until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, 5–7 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve the remaining tomato mixture over the fillets.
Sauté only one side of the fillets to make a golden-brown crust, then remove the fillets from the pan.
Add half the tomato mixture to the sautéed onions, and reserve the other half for after roasting.
Gently nestle the fish into the tomato and onion mixture before finishing roasting in the oven.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 438
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 38%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 63mg 21%
Sodium 504mg 21%
Carbs 16g 5%
Fiber 3g 12%
Protein 36g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.