Pescado a la Veracruzana (Veracruz-Style Fish)

Fish fillets are baked in a tomato sauce with red bell pepper, capers, and green olives to create this fish dish from Veracruz, Mexico.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 60 mins
• Calories: 1348 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 20 pitted green olives
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 2 pounds plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1 cube fish bouillon
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
• 8 large white fish fillets
• 6 pickled banana peppers, sliced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a rectangular baking dish large enough to fit the fish fillets in a single layer.

Step 2

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in plum tomatoes and red bell pepper; simmer until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato puree; cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 3

Stir salt, bouillon cube, oregano, cinnamon, pepper, and bay leaves into the saucepan. Cook until flavors combine, about 10 minutes. Add olives and capers; simmer for 5 minutes. Remove sauce from heat.

Step 4

Melt butter in a separate skillet over medium heat. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper; cook in the hot butter until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Step 5

Lay fish fillets in the baking dish in a single layer; cover with sauce. Arrange sliced peppers on top. Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.

Step 6

Bake in the preheated oven until fish flakes easily with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes.