Pescado a la Veracruzana (Veracruz Style Fish)

Name: Pescado a la Veracruzana (Veracruz Style Fish)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil; ½ yellow onion; 4 cloves garlic; 2 tablespoons white wine; 3 bay leaves; 4 plum tomatoes; 10 to 14 pitted Manzanilla or other green olives; ¼ cup sliced pickled jalapeño peppers; 2 tablespoons capers; 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves or ½ teaspoon dried oregano; 1 sprig fresh thyme or pinch dried thyme; kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley; 1 (3 to 4 pound) large whole red snapper or 1 ½ pounds boneless skin-on red snapper fillets

User Reviews

4.8

36 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings
4 servings
Calories
317 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Mexican

Pescado a la Veracruzana (Veracruz Style Fish)

Megan Mendez

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Delicious, easy, and fresh, Pescado a la Veracruzana, or Veracruz Style Fish, features an aromatic sauce of tomatoes, garlic, olives, and capers. Make it with whole fish or fillets for a fast and enticing meal hailing from Mexico's coastal region.

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Ingredients

Servings

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
½ yellow onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons white wine
3 bay leaves
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
10 to 14 pitted Manzanilla or other green olives, roughly chopped
¼ cup sliced pickled jalapeño peppers, chopped
2 tablespoons capers
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves or ½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 sprig fresh thyme or pinch dried thyme
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 (3 to 4 pound) large whole red snapper or 1 ½ pounds boneless skin-on red snapper fillets, or other flaky white fish

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Instructions

Heat ½ tablespoon of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook just until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
Next, add the wine and bay leaves and cook until the wine is almost completely evaporated. Add the tomatoes, olives, jalapeños, capers, oregano, and thyme and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the tomatoes are completely soft, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the parsley.
If using a whole fish, score each side with three or four deep slashes (this will help the sauce penetrate the fish and keep it from curling up). If using fillets, remove the pinbones using fish tweezers or needle-nose pliers, and season the flesh-side with salt and pepper.
In a pan large enough to hold the whole fish (or the fillets in a single layer), heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat.
For a whole fish: Add the whole snapper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until turning golden brown. Carefully flip the fish and pour the tomato mixture on top. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the fish is cooked through (the thickest part of the fish should flake easily when prodded with a fork).
For fish fillets: Cook skin down first for 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges start to brown, then flip and pour the tomato mixture on top. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for about 6 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through. The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fish fillets.
To serve, divide the fish evenly among four plates and top with the sauce. Serve with white rice.

Notes

I highly recommend making homemade pickled jalapeños not only for this recipe, but in general. It's easy and far better quality than store-bought.
This classic Veracruz style fish is made with a whole red snapper, however you can use boneless skin-on red snapper fillets as I do. Red snapper is a lean, firm-textured fish with a mild flavor. If you can't find it, try this recipe with another flaky white fish.
If using red snapper fillets rather than a whole fish, the size of the fillets can vary significantly based on the size of the fish they came from. If the fillets are quite large, you can cut them into portions to make it easier to cook and serve.
I remove the skin after cooking and before eating my red snapper. Because the fish cooks in the sauce, you won't have a crispy skin like you may with other preparations so it's not as appealing for me to eat it.
You'll need some pitted green olives for this recipe. Manzanilla olives are usually stuffed with pimentos. Although you could use those (pimentos and all) I've opted for olives that aren't stuffed. It may be harder to find un-stuffed Manzanillas in your grocery store, so other varieties of green olives are fine too.
Adapted from Made in Mexico

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 317kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 6g (2%) Protein 46g (92%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 5g Cholesterol 60mg (20%) Sodium 597mg (25%) Potassium 911mg (26%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 3g (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 317 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	317kcal	16%
Carbohydrates	6g	2%
Protein	46g	92%
Fat	11g	17%
Saturated Fat	2g	10%
Polyunsaturated Fat	1g	6%
Monounsaturated Fat	5g	25%
Cholesterol	60mg	20%
Sodium	597mg	25%
Potassium	911mg	19%
Fiber	2g	8%
Sugar	3g	6%