Red Snapper a la Veracruzaña

There are as many recipes for this dish as there are Veracruzañas. All use jalapeño, but some do not use spice. To our taste, the hint of spices is what makes this dish extraordinary. Be not afraid. Try it their way and call it 'huachinango a la Veracruzaña.'

• 6 fillets red snapper, about 2 pounds
• 1/4 cup lime juice (2 large limes)
• 4 large tomatoes, peeled and seeded, juice reserved
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 jalapeño chilies, seeded and finely minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 10 green olives with pimiento stuffing
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

METHOD

Marinate snapper fillets in lime juice for one hour, refrigerated, turning once halfway through the marinating.

Strain reserved juice of the tomatoes, pushing through a sieve, so that no seeds are in the juice. Set aside.

Heat oil in large sauté pan. Cook onions over medium heat until they lose color. Add chilies and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and 1/4 cup reserved juice. Add capers, olives, cinnamon and cloves. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes soften.

Remove snapper from marinade, but do not dry. Add to the tomato mixture, spooning sauce over the fish. Cook, partially covered, about 5 minutes or until fish releases its liquid.

Serve with rice or boiled potatoes. It is traditional to garnish the plate with buttered toasts, cut into triangles.

Serves 4 - 6

Contributor: Pamela Ackroyd

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Juicing limes: Remove from refrigerator to bring to room temperature. When ready to squeeze, roll them on a hard surface. This will soften the pulp to extract more juice from the fruit.

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