Chile-Infused Red Snapper, Veracruz-Style

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This is one of the most delicious Mexican coastal fish recipes. It is served in Veracruz, the area of Mexico most influenced by Spanish cooking, but is popular all over the country. Often the snapper is dusted with flour and pan fried, then covered with a sauce, but we prefer ours beach-style. We grill it over wood or natural charcoal (gas is acceptable, too) and then serve it with the sauce on the side. Charring the tomatoes on the grill adds a smoky dimension to the sauce. This elegant and colorful fish is served with white rice and additional pickled jalapeños.

Ingredients

The Snapper

  • 1 3 to 4-pound whole dressed red snapper

  • 1 lime, cut in half

  • 1/4 cup ground chile de arbol, or substitute New Mexican ground red chile

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • Olive oil

  • Chopped parsley for garnish

Veracruz Sauce

  • 6 small tomatoes

  • 1 small onion

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 4 canned picked jalapeño chiles (jalapeños en escabeche), seeds removed, cut in thin strips

  • 1 tablespoon juice from the pickled jalapeños

  • ½ cup sliced pimiento-stuffed olives

  • 1 tablespoon capers

  • ½ teaspoon sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

With a knife, lightly score the fish on both sides. Sprinkle lime juice over the whole fish, inside and out. In a small bowl, combine the chile and salt and mix well. Sprinkle the fish with the mixture inside and out.

To make the sauce, roast the tomatoes and onions on the grill until charred evenly. Remove and chop. In a small pan, saute the garlic in oil until lightly browned. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened. Season with salt and pepper, and remove the bay leaves.

Place the fish on the grill indirectly over a low fire, baste with olive oil, and cook about 1 hour per side, turning twice and basting with the oil. The fish should flake easily, and the internal temperature of the fish at its thickest part should be 385°F for medium.

Place the fish on a serving platter and pour the most of the sauce over it. At the table, carve the fish and serve it with some sauce spooned over each portion. Garnish with the parsley. Serve with heated corn tortillas, and the additional sauce on the table.

 

Grilled Salmon Steaks with Green Chile Lime Sauce

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Here is a simple salmon recipe that’s quick to prepare but tastes great. You can literally whip it up while you are starting the grill. Feel free to flavor this with a little light smoke–say apple or other fruitwoods. Serve with a creamy rissoto, arugula, and tomato salad and a chilled white wine.

Ingredients

For the Salmon:

  • 4 salmon steaks

  • Olive oil

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Green Chile Lime Sauce:

  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

  • 3 roasted and peeled New Mexico green chiles, stems and seeds removed

  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped

  • Juice of 1 lime

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 teaspoon lime zest

Instructions

Brush the steaks with the oil and season with the salt and pepper. Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

Grill the steaks over a medium fire for about 8 minutes, turning several times, or until the fish flakes on the outside.

To serve, pour some of the sauce on individual plates, place the steaks on top of the sauce, and top with additional sauce.

Wasabi-Marinated Mahi Tuna with Asian Chile Salsa

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Wasabi is an extremely powerful Japanese horseradish that can be found as a powder or a paste.

Ingredients

Wasabi, Jalapeno, Ahi Tuna Steaks, Asian Chile Slaw, Cabbage

Instructions

Wasabi is an extremely powerful Japanese horseradish that can be found as a powder or as a paste in easy-to-use tubes. If using it as a powder, reconstitute it in rice wine vinegar. This tuna should be served medium-rare.

Wasabi Marinade

  • 5 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1 ½ tablespoons wasabi paste

  • 1 ½ tablespoons grated fresh ginger

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 tablespoon minced shallots

  • 1 tablespoon hot mustard

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 serrano or jalapeño chile, seeds and stems removed, minced

The Tuna

  • 4 ahi tuna steaks or substitute swordfish

  • Asian Chile Slaw

  • Dressing

  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil, peanut preferred

  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla), available in Asian markets

  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil

  • 2 teaspoons sugar

  • 4 small fresh Thai chiles (prik kee nu), stems removed, minced, or substitute 2 serrano chiles

  • 2 teaspoon finely sliced green onions

  • Salt and white pepper

The Salad

  • 2 cups finely shredded Napa or regular cabbage

  • 1/4 cup shredded carrots

  • 1/4 cup finely sliced green onions, including the greens

  • 1/4 cup sliced edible pea pods, sliced lengthwise

  • 1/4 cup chopped peanuts

  • Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

In a bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients and allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to blend the flavors.

Place the fish in a single layer in a non-reactive bowl, pour the marinade over the fish and turn to coat. Cover and marinate for an hour at room temperature.

For the slaw, whisk together all the dressing ingredients and allow to sit, covered, at room temperature for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.

Grill the fish over a medium fire for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until just done, medium rare. Cut one of the steaks open to check for doneness.

To make the salad, toss together the cabbage, carrots, onions, and pea pods. Toss with just enough of
the dressing to coat. Garnish with the peanuts and cilantro.

To serve, place the fish on a plate and serve with the slaw on the side.

Yield: 4 servings

Heat Scale: Mild

The Earliest Mole Sauce

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Why wouldn’t the cooks of Cerén have developed sauces to serve over meats and vegetables? After all, there is evidence that curry mixtures were in existence thousands of years ago in what is now India, and we have to assume that Native Americans experimented with all available ingredients. Perhaps this mole sauce was served over stewed duck meat, as ducks were one of the domesticated meat sources of the Cerén villagers.

Ingredients

  • 4 tomatillos, husks removed

  • 1 tomato, toasted in a skillet and peeled

  • ½ teaspoon chile seeds

  • 3 tablespoons pepitas (toasted pumpkin or squash seeds)

  • 1 corn tortilla, torn into pieces

  • 2 tablespoons medium-hot chile powder

  • 1 teaspoon achiote (annatto seeds)

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 2 cups chicken broth

  • 1 ounce Mexican or bittersweet chocolate

Instructions

In a blender, combine the tomatillos, tomato, chile seeds, pepitas, tortilla, chile powder and achiote to make a paste. In a pan, heat the vegetable oil and fry the paste until fragrant, about 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chicken broth and the chocolate and stir over medium heat until thickened to desired consistency.

Pastel de Choclo (Chilean Meat Pie)

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This delicious, spicy dish only needs a large green salad, sliced tomatoes, a baked potato, and a Chilean wine to create a feast. We have used lean, ground beef in this recipe, but coarsely ground chicken, rabbit, or pork could also be used.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds coarsely ground lean beef

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 cup chopped onion

  • 1 large dried ají chile pod, crushed, or substitute New Mexican

  • ½ teaspoon cumin

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • ½ teaspoon oregano

  • 10 black olives, cut in half

  • 2 cups fresh corn

  • 1 tablespoon milk

  • 1 ½ teaspoons sugar

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions

In a heavy skillet, brown the meat, drain, and put it into a bowl. Add the oil to the skillet, and saute the onion, and add the chile, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and oregano; add the sauteed mixture to the meat and mix. Then pack the meat mixture into a shallow 3 to 4 quart overproof casserole, and arrange the olives over the top.

Put the corn in a blender with the milk, ½ teaspoon of the sugar, and puree the corn. Heat the oil in a skillet, add the pureed corn, and simmer the corn, stirring, until the puree thickens. Pour this mixture over the meat mixture and sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar.

Bake in a 350°F oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the top is golden.