Recipes > Snapper Veracruz
A medley of delightful flavors...layers of snapper, onions, olives, jalapeños and cilantro are topped with fresh tomatoes, white wine and extra-virgin olive oil and baked until tender.
Dawn Thomas
- Serves: 4
- Active Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr
- Views: 57,892
- Success Rating: 99% (?)
Steps
Step 1: Preparing Your Mise en Place
- 1/2 white onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 to 2 tbsp pickled jalapeños (with the juice)
- 1/4 cup green olives (such as picholine)
- 4 medium tomatoes
- 1 lime (optional)
- 1/3 cup cilantro
- 1 to 2 tbsp capers
- 3 bay leaves (optional)
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Method
To start, first preheat your oven to 425º degrees Fahrenheit.
To prepare your mise en place, very thinly slice the onion and émincé the garlic. Mince the jalapeños and make sure to reserve the juice. Roughly chop the pitted olives and then slice the peeled tomatoes into approximately 1/4" -inch slices. Just be careful when slicing as they can be quite slippery. You don’t have to peel the tomatoes, but this dish is much nicer to eat if the tomatoes have been peeled (see attached drill-down). Next, cut the lime in half and roughly chop the cilantro. Lastly, gather the capers, bay leaves, white wine, olive oil and reserved jalapeño juice.
Step 2: Preparing the Snapper
- 2 large snapper fillets (about 1 1/4 lb)
- kosher salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Method
To prepare the fish, first debone and then slice each fillet into 2 or 3 equal pieces. Season both sides with salt and pepper and squeeze the lime juice over top. Set aside.
Step 3: Assembling & Baking the Dish
- vegetable oil (for coating the baking dish)
- kosher salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Method
To begin assembling, first spray a 9″ × 12″ -inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
Lay the bay leaves on the bottom of the dish and start to layer with half of the onions, garlic, olives and cilantro. For the tomatoes, use the not-so-pretty or end-pieces first. Then season with salt and pepper and lay down the fish. Repeat with the second layer, only this time, add the jalapeños and capers as well. Season again with a bit of salt and pepper. Finally, pour over the jalapeño juice, white wine and finish with a quality olive oil.
Cover and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes. This will depend on the thickness of the fish.
Step 4: Finishing the Dish
Method
After about 10 to 15 minutes, uncover the dish and continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.
When ready, the juices should be hot and bubbling and the fish should just start to flake apart. The tomatoes should also look like they are starting to cook and break down.
Once done, serve immediately. Make sure to spoon the delicious juices over top. If desired, finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Chef's Notes
- by Dawn Thomas
- •
- May 6, 2008
Any mild white fish can be substituted for snapper.
53 Comments
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This dish looks great. What can I use as a substitute for white wine? -
Rouxbe Staff
Hi Naouar, You can substitute quite a few things for white wine. Try chicken stock or veggie stock. For this recipe, instead of substituting the entire 1/4 cup white wine with just stock, try combining 3 tablespoons of stock with 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to give the liquid some acidity. Taste it before using to see if you like the flavor, and adjust to your liking. Here's a good link for substitutes. http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/alcoholsubstitutes.htm Enjoy! -
Just added it to my favorites. Thanks!
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Its much like me! -
I just prepared it and it tastes nice.
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Making it in my kitchen.
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I have made this dish several times and we love it every time. Its flavors blend beautifully. A light dish that is surprisingly satisfying and filling! I’ve made this with Cod and Halibut and both came out great. I have also made with chicken stock instead of the wine. Which was still great but I do prefer the flavor of an Oaky Chardonnay; I think it sets the dish just right. Well done!! -
I did. Just a little bit, but the dish was lovely all the same. It's easy to make and once you've got the ingredients, it's really a matter of getting them all assembled and you have a great dinner. I used about 1.8 pounds of fish, and it wasn't enough. Or possibly people liked it too much. However we did find some bread (to dip in the sauce) quite useful. And it helped fill us up a bit. We drank it with the remaining white wine and yes, that went well too. -
This dish was very easy to make. I used fresh halibut and served it over Toasted Middle Eastern Couscous. The flavor combination was fantastic. I especially enjoyed the jalapeños, capers and olives. Will make it again. -
can you use whole peeled tomato in a can substitute to the fresh tomato that s been blanch -
Yes in a pinch, but fresh would still be nicer. -
Becoming tired of the same old chicken dishes I decided to switch things up a bit. We love the flavors of this dish so I decided to try it using chicken instead of the fish. I Butterflied a few breasts and extended the cooking time, but other than that I left the recipe as is. It came out amazing.
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Wonderful!! Reminded me of some of the dishes we get in Almalfi, Italy...yummy. Can't wait to try in summer with homegrown tomatoes. This one is on my favorites list! -
I made this dish for dinner last night and it turned out perfectly. I used banana peppers instead of jalapenos since I had a jar that was already open, but other than that I followed the recipe. I agree with Allison P that this is a light and filling dish. Fish is not a favorite in my household, but I got the comment "it's good, for fish", so I guess it was a winner! :) I served this with the green bean recipe that's also on Rouxbe and that turned out great too. Liz -
If you're looking for scarsdale happy dinners as we have to cook 2 per week with fish...this one is great. Tonight I'm using cod and diced tomatoes from a can (because I don't have any fresh ones and I don't feel like going out again today) Consider whole foods stuffed green olives with jalopenos and take some of the juice as you do two things at once. I'm serving the fish over tossed greens with salt and pepper beets and sauteed vegies. Can hardly wait for 6:30, mind you on scarsdale all you think about is your next yummy meal.
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There is nothing more to be said... :) -
Can you use whiting or other types of fish? -
Yes, you could trying using other types of fish. I would tend to stay with other white fish but you could try experimenting to see what work for you.
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Made this last night! Even the kids loved it. So good! -
I've been cooking for a good chunk of my life and this is one of my favorite dishes I've made! The flavors are fantastic, it's just the right amount of spice, and it's one of the first dishes in a while I haven't had to add salt to at the end of cooking (partially that's because I just finished the section where it talks about how to salt through out cooking). This will definitely be a regular dish in the future :) p.s. I only had chicken stock so I replaced the wine with it and it was great, I'll be curious to see how it's different next time I make it with the wine -
Wow!! This is SO delicious. I served the fish over a bed of quinoa. I'll definitely be making this again. -
Great dish. I added some salsa Verde made with roasted veggies. Served with rice one day, and then got adventurous. I reheated carfully and then mixed it over linguini. Adding a touch of crema, and a bit more salsa verde. Delicious fusion. I used Rockfish. Reasonable $, sustainable, fresh. -
can i reduce the amount of oil used and if so much can i reduce the oil content without ruining the dish?thank you.
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Rouxbe Staff
Hi Jack- This dish is very hard to "ruin" when using less oil. There is much moisture, richness, and flavors that exist in the other ingredients. I recommend reducing to 1/4 cup. In doing so, I would also recommend using high quality extra virgin olive oil (first cold pressed). Quality over quantity. Enjoy! -
demetra could i layer the baking dish with seaweed dry to add extra sea flavour? -
can i swap out the coriander with dry fenugreek leaves?
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Rouxbe Staff
Riaz, you can certainly use dry fenugreek leaves in place of the fresh coriander. This sort of detail is up to you. Replacing fresh coriander with fenugreek will change the flavor of the dish, but give it a try and see how you like it! -
Rouxbe Staff
Riaz, regarding the layering of the baking dish with seaweed...give it a try and see how you like it!
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How many grams are the onions and tomatoes and how much jalapeno pickle juice is recommended to use? thank u.
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Rouxbe Staff
Hi Riaz- Approximately 520g of tomato and 100g of onion. As far as the jalapeno pickling juice, about a tsp to two of juice should be picked up when taking the jalapenos out of the jar. Enjoy!
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Demetra there was far too much oil in the dish for me can you recommend a reduction and also the onions didn't soften they stayed crunchy.
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Would it be a good idea to soften the onions on the stove top first then add them?
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Thank u
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I'm thinking of making the capers and jalapenos into a paste in a pestal mortal so it breaks down easier would that be a good idea?
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Rouxbe Staff
Riaz, I would suggest reviewing the recipe as the thinly sliced onions should have softened greatly at 425 for about 25 minutes. I would recommend an oven thermometer to check you oven, as there seems to be something wrong if your onions were "crunchy" after roasting. 1/3 of cup of extra virgin olive oil is prudent amount here. If you want less oil, reduce to 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz.). You can modify any recipe so I encourage you to experiment; making a paste is a textural choice if you do not want whole pieces of an ingredient. Enjoy!
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what could i serve this dish with to make a complete meal preferrable using the recipes on this site.thank you.
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could i give the onions a head start by microwaving them to soften them?
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i did sone research online and alot of recipes call for a 1:1 ratio of capers to raisins.what are your thoughts on this?
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how can i balance the tanginess of this dish as it was three times too tangy for my personal taste?i prefere the acidity to be subtle.as i don drink alcohol and because im quartering the recipe can i do this:10ml fish fumet/stock/water plus half a tsp lime juice and half a tsp lime test so keeping the lime taste but reducing the tang?
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also i want to add extra umami while reducing salt so could i use some italian fish sauce (garam) which i know was used by them in ancient times to add umami and suggestions on how to use?thank you so much rouxbe
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could i also replace the jalapenos with pre roasted red/green peppers than are skinned as through personally experience unskinned jalapenos with skins on dont break down.i want to use equal amounts as a replacement if thats possible?
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i, thinking of infusing the olive oil beforehand with dried herbs by using the microwave how do you suggest i do this and best choice of herbs? thank you.
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Rouxbe Staff
Hi Riaz, 1) For an accompaniment, please choose a favorite grain or pasta. 2) Yes, you could microwave the onions. 3) Capes and raisins in this dish sound good. Give it a try! 4) As for your suggestion to reduce the tang, please give it a try! 5) Your idea to use Italian fish sauce sounds good! You'll need to add this product to-taste so you find the correct balance for your palate. 6) Yes, you can use pre-roasted red/green peppers. You should give this a try and see how you like the results. Then, make adjustments from there. I suggest taking notes as you cook! 7) When heating oil in the microwave, be sure to cover your container. Once the oil is heated, allow the mixture to sit until the oil is flavored. Consider using herbs such as thyme, oregano, or rosemary. You'll need to experiment to find what you like. ~Eric
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thank you eric for getting ack to me im a pretty nervous cook so im always asking questions.im thinking of assembling the dish in a tray then freezing for easier meal preperation ahead of time do you think this could work as im thinking of roasting from frozen.i welcome your advice.
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im thinking of making a smooth sauce using the food processor with the white wine vinegar,lemon zest,capers,raisins roasted peppers,olives fresh corianders in a food processor as alot of recipes i have searched online have a smooth veracruz red pepper sauce with said ingredients. iwant the sauce to be like the greek chicken recipe on this website where i can freeze defrost apply and bake for ease as i find the set up of this recipe really diifficult in everyday applications.if im wrong in any of my feedback please correct me but im just happy for any advice given.thank you rouxbe.
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would food processing the ingredients and instead of using the fresh tomato replace with rouxbes own tomato pasta sauce produce a more superior result?
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Rouxbe Staff
Hi Riaz, It certainly is possible to puree the sauce of white wine vinegar, lemon zest, capers, raisins, roasted peppers, olives, and fresh corianders and it will not change the flavor, only the texture. Thank you, Chef Ra -
Rouxbe Staff
Hi Riaz, A "Superior result" depends on individual perspective. You will have a different flavor for sure if you use tomato sauce instead of fresh tomatoes. I'd be interested to hear which direction you chose and why. Cheers, Chef Randall
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randal im using frozen white fish specifically cod as its more convenient.i plan on assembling the dish then cover in foil and freeze it then whenever i want roast from frozen.would i need to increase the time and temperature?im using 90g frozen fish and ive downsized the recipe to go with that quantity.thank you.
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im also using a fan oven.also as well what oven shelf would be best if cooking from frozen? thank you.
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Rouxbe Staff
Hi Riaz, it's reasonable to extend the cooking time as needed when cooking from a frozen state, but the temperature can remain the same. You'll need to observe and make adjustments as needed for the other variable. ~Eric
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Can you bake a whole snapper with this recipe in this marinade?
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Rouxbe Staff
Hi Mary- The marinade is enough for 1.25 pounds. Adjust the yield to accommodate the weight of the whole snapper. Eat well and be well, Demetra
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