RCP: Sauce Veracruz

Traditionally served over red snapper but you can use any firm-textured fish. Friends have asked me to make this in large batches; it should freeze just fine.

1 jalapeno, cut into thin slivers (discard seeds)
3 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp lime juice
1/3 cup green olives
2 tsp capers
s+p
2 lbs fish
flour to dredge
lime wedges, avocado slices, cilantro sprigs, etc, to garnish

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium pan. Add onion and garlic. Saute till soft and transparent.
2. Add jalapeno, tomatoes, salt, sugar, cinnamon, clove, and lime juice. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
3. Add olives and capers. S+p to taste. Set pan aside.
4. Cut fish into serving pieces. Dredge in flour. Fry in remaining oil for 4-6 minutes or until done.
5. Plate fish. Spoon sauce over. Garnish.

Serves 4-6.

from Fish & Shellfish by Charlotte Walker, HPBooks.

Thanks for this, Jeff. I've thought about making this before but wasn't sure about the recipes I saw. This looks good and it even looks quick enough for a weekday evening!

You're welcome! It is, indeed, very fast to make. And, of course, feel free to adjust to suit your tastes... more or different chili, bend it towards Sicily by throwing in a small handful of pine nuts and raisins, etc.

[Jenise]

Wonderful, thanks, it's on the list.

Looking at the recipe, I recognize it as something we've made a few times -- but not for the last few years.

Time to dust it off and try it again. I remember it tasting really good.

Thanks for posting!!

Made this last night and added some halved and quartered grape tomatoes just for some additional texture and sweetness. It was wonderful over the fish....Thank you Jeff for posting your recipe.

Drew

[Jenise]

Made this for dinner last night. Planned to use cod but when I got to the store, who always always always have it, they didn't have it so used halibut instead. Great dish, thanks!

Traditionally served over red snapper but you can use any firm-textured fish. Friends have asked me to make this in large batches; it should freeze just fine.

1 jalapeno, cut into thin slivers (discard seeds)
3 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp lime juice
1/3 cup green olives
2 tsp capers
s+p
2 lbs fish
flour to dredge
lime wedges, avocado slices, cilantro sprigs, etc, to garnish

Jeff,
I like the sounds of this recipe and I suspect it would (as Emeril says) kick it up a notch or two) It being a mild fish like cod or tilapia. The cinnamon and cloves though are a bit off putting to me, at least in my imagination. I wonder if one would get away with reducing those two by half. Is this sauce slightly sweet due to these two spices?

[Jenise]

Traditionally served over red snapper but you can use any firm-textured fish. Friends have asked me to make this in large batches; it should freeze just fine.

1 jalapeno, cut into thin slivers (discard seeds)
3 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp lime juice
1/3 cup green olives
2 tsp capers
s+p
2 lbs fish
flour to dredge
lime wedges, avocado slices, cilantro sprigs, etc, to garnish

Jeff,
I like the sounds of this recipe and I suspect it would (as Emeril says) kick it up a notch or two) It being a mild fish like cod or tilapia. The cinnamon and cloves though are a bit off putting to me, at least in my imagination. I wonder if one would get away with reducing those two by half. Is this sauce slightly sweet due to these two spices?

It's fruity-sweet due to the tomatoes and onions. The spices add an interesting element; and they're just tiny amounts but very present. You could get away with leaving them out altogether if you find spices annoying, but they add a lot of complexity and distinguish this dish from any other fish dish you've ever had. The spices and fruity-sweetness also added an extremely interesting bridge to the wine I served with this, a fruity-style Washington red meritage I'd been given to try. I'd actually planned a white burgundy, it was just on a fluke that I'd tasted the meritage before dinner and realized what a great if improbable match it would be. And it couldn't have been better.

Jeff,
I like the sounds of this recipe and I suspect it would (as Emeril says) kick it up a notch or two) It being a mild fish like cod or tilapia. The cinnamon and cloves though are a bit off putting to me, at least in my imagination. I wonder if one would get away with reducing those two by half. Is this sauce slightly sweet due to these two spices?

Bob,

As Jenise said, the warm spices are really there to add complexity and highlight the other flavors. They do not jump out, or up, very much.

Jenise,

Glad you liked it. Must be an earthy red!