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.

 

Belizean Rubbed and Grilled Fish Burger

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This particular “burger” is a fired-up re-creation of a fish sandwich Nancy devoured in the tiny town of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, Belize, in 1985. The restaurant was called Elvies Burger Isle, and the diners sat outside under a tamarind tree on picnic benches. If ever there was a simple to prepare, quick and easy fish recipe with significant heat, this is it. Serve with french fries, crisp cole slaw, and to toast Elvie, a frosty tamarind cooler.

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon ground habanero chile

  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground thyme

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 4 small white fish fillets, such as snapper, trigger fish, or grouper

  • 4 rolls

  • Your favorite salsa or hot sauce

Instructions

In a bowl, combine the chile, salt, garlic, thyme, allspice and nutmeg. Brush the fillets with the oil and dust with the spice mixture. Allow to sit at room temperature while you prepare the grill.

Cut the rolls in half length-wise and brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Grill the fish in a grill basket over medium heat until done, about 5 minutes per side, or until the fillets flake.

Grill the rolls to slightly warm. Place the fish on rolls and top with a sauce of choice, even if it’s store-bought.

 

Coconut-Smoked Mahi-Mahi

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Smoking with coconut gives the fish a sweet flavor with tropical overtones. Serve with Curried Pineapple Serrano Salsa.

Ingredients

Habanero, Coconut, Mahi-Mahi, Pineapple, Serrano, Brown Sugar, Curry Powder, Ginger

Instructions

Mahi-mahi is the Hawaiian term for the fish also called dorado in Spanish and dolphin in English. This recipe also works well with “fishier” fish such as kingfish, bluefish, and mackerel. Yes, you can substitute steaks for the fillets, but be sure to adjust the cooking time. Smoking with coconut gives the fish a sweet flavor with tropical overtones. This recipe is designed for a water smoker or a charcoal grill with indirect heat, a water-filled pan beneath the fish and the coconut placed on the coals. Use a fish grill basket with handles for easy turning. Serve with lemon cashew rice, spring asparagus spears, and Key lime pie.

Marinade

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 2 tablespoons rice wine

  • Juice of 1 lime

  • 2 teaspoons ground habanero chile

  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger

  • 1 fresh coconut, broken in pieces, reserving the milk

  • 4 mahi-mahi fillets, or substitute snapper or grouper

Curried Pineapple Serrano Salsa

  • 1 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut in 1/4-inch slices

  • 3 serrano chiles, stems removed, chopped

  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon orange juice

  • 2 teaspoons curry powder

  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

In a bowl, combine the oil, rice wine, lime juice, chile, and ginger to make a marinade. Place the fish in a non-reactive dish, pour the marinade over the top and marinate, covered, at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.

Prepare a fire in a water smoker or a charcoal grill and when hot, place the coconut pieces on the coals. Pour the reserved coconut milk in the pan along with the water. Smoke the fish for 1 to 2 hours or until the fish flakes, keeping a very low heat. You may quickly baste a couple of times with the marinade, if desired, to keep the fish from drying out.

To make the salsa, grill the pineapple slices or heat in a pan for 5 to 10 minutes until the pineapple is browned. Dice the pineapple. Combine all the ingredients for the salsa, except for the cilantro, and allow to sit at room temperature for an hour to blend the flavors. Toss

with the cilantro.

Place the fish on individual pates, top with a little salsa, and serve the remaining salsa on the side.

Yield: 4 servings

Heat Scale: Medium

Chile-Grilled Scallops with Coconut Mint Chutney

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The chutney is a nice and spicy accompaniment to the creamy taste of the scallops. We love habanero chiles in it, but use a serrano for less heat and a slightly different flavor. If you don’t have fresh coconut, substitute 1 ½ cups flaked coconut. Serve with lemon rice pilaf and grilled mango slices.

Ingredients

 For the Chutney:

  • 1 cup grated fresh coconut

  • 1/4 cup lemon juice

  • ½ cup chopped onions

  • 1/4 cup chopped ginger

  • 1 habanero chile, seeds and stem removed, minced

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

  • ½ cup chopped fresh mint

For the Scallops:

  • 2 pounds scallops

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 2 tablespoons ground New Mexican red chile

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

The chutney is a nice and spicy accompaniment to the creamy taste of the scallops. We love habanero chiles in it, but use a serrano for less heat and a slightly different flavor. If you don’t have fresh coconut, substitute 1 ½ cups flaked coconut. Serve with lemon rice pilaf and grilled mango slices.

Coconut Mint Chutney

  • 1 cup grated fresh coconut

  • 1/4 cup lemon juice

  • ½ cup chopped onions

  • 1/4 cup chopped ginger

  • 1 habanero chile, seeds and stem removed, minced

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

  • ½ cup chopped fresh mint

Chile-Grilled Scallops

  • 2 pounds scallops

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 2 tablespoons ground New Mexican red chile

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the chutney, combine the coconut and the lemon juice in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Add the onion, ginger, chiles, salt and blend, adding enough water to make a smooth paste. Heat the oil, add the mustard seeds and fry until they begin to sizzle. Add the coconut paste and heat. Allow to cool and stir in the mint.

To make the scallops, blanch the scallops in boiling water for 2 ½ minutes. Drain and pat dry. In a bowl, add the oil and toss the scallops. Sprinkle the scallops with the chile, salt, and pepper and toss well to coat evenly.. Thread the scallops on skewers and grill over medium hot fire until they are golden brown outside and opaque throughout, about 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally.

Serve the scallops with the chutney drizzled over them or on the side.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Heat Scale: Medium

 

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