Fish tales: Recipe for Yellowtail Veracruzana

 

Chef Enrique Silva of Los Tamarindos Farm shares his mouth-watering recipe for Yellowtail Veracruzana (Veracruz-style)

Visitors traveling across Mexico soon learn that the country’s cuisine varies greatly from region to region, much as it does in Italy. Veracruz, one of 32 federal regions, borders the Gulf of Mexico. As such, the area is located near a busy port and many dishes prepared there reflect the diverse culinary influences of Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.

One dish that is a perennial favorite in this region is Huachinango a la Veracruzana (red snapper Veracruz-style). Healthy and relatively easy to prepare, fresh red snapper from the local waters is smothered with a tasty sauce made of tomatoes, peppers, olives, onions, garlic and herbs and then baked in the oven.

During a recent cooking lesson at Huerta Los Tamarindos (Los Tamarindos Farm) in Los Cabos, Mexico, we were able to try our hand at cooking this mouth-watering dish. Chef Enrique Silva shares his own version of the recipe, substituting fresh yellowtail for the snapper.

The ingredients are readily available and the recipe is easy enough to make at home. The preparation entails making an herb olive oil first (which the chef says can last for months and be used for other dishes) before preparing the fish dish. The ingredients and recipes (for four servings) are printed below, courtesy of Chef Silva.

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 RECIPE FOR HERB OLIVE OIL 

Ingredients: 

• 2 oz. rosemary
• 2 oz. thyme
• 2 oz. sage
• 2 oz. marjoram
• 2 oz. basil
• 2 oz. oregano
• 2 garlic heads minced
• 1 qt. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 qt. sunflower oil
• sea salt and roasted pepper, to taste

Method:

Remove all leafs from stems and chop them all finely.

Clean and mince the two garlic heads.

In a large container, mix all the ingredients together.

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RECIPE FOR FISH VERACRUZANA

Ingredients: 

• 4 fish filets
• 2 pounds Roma tomatoes, cut julienne-style
• 1 medium white onion
• 1 green poblano or bell pepper (cut in half rings)
• 3 oz. kalamata olives diced
• 4 bay leaves
• ½ garlic clove
• ¼ cup herb olive oil
• ½ cup white wine
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Sauté the garlic, onions and pepper in a pan with a few tablespoons of the herb olive oil for 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, olives, bay leaves and white wine and cook for 5 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Baste the fish with herb olive oil on both sides and sear in a pan for around 1 minute on each side over high heat.

Place fish on ovenproof platter, cover with the Veracruz sauce and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOS – PREPARATION OF YELLOWTAIL VERACRUZANA

[Best viewed using the Slideshow option]

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Note: The fish goes especially well with rice.

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To find out about cooking classes or to make a reservation, call 624-105-6031 (in Mexico) or go to Huerta Los Tamarindos online.

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Also on More Time To Travel – Farm-to-table Baja: Just Beyond the Beach

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This post is part of a link-up to Marcia Maynes’ Foodie Tuesdays.