Tender white fish cooks in a rich tomato sauce with onion, jalapeño, olives and capers. The sauce is given time to reduce first, so it stays tangy and savory without becoming watery.
Pescado a la veracruzana is a regional Mexican preparation recognized for its combination of tomatoes, olives, capers and jalapeño. This distinctive, savory sauce is characteristic of Veracruz and sets the dish apart from a general fish dish with tomato. Each ingredient brings something of its own: tomatoes add body and acidity, olives and capers bring salty notes, and jalapeño adds a mild, green kick.
The sauce needs a short head start before the fish goes in. First, onion and garlic are gently sautéed; then the tomatoes cook down into a thick sauce. Reducing the sauce is important: moisture evaporates, the tomato flavor becomes rounder, and the fish does not have to cook for long in a thin liquid. Use a wide frying pan or sauté pan so the fish pieces fit side by side and the sauce simmers evenly. Turn the heat low once the fish is in; a vigorous boil can make the fillets fall apart.
Different kinds of white fish can be used in Veracruz. For a home-cooked version, firm cod, hake or sea bass are practical choices. Choose pieces of roughly equal thickness so they cook at the same time. Frozen fish works too, but let it thaw completely and pat it dry before adding it to the pan. Green olives bring a distinctive savory note; pitted Spanish green olives are convenient, but other mild green olives work just as well. Briefly rinse the capers if you want a less salty sauce.
Ripe fresh tomatoes are not always very flavorful out of season. Canned tomatoes are a reliable choice then, and make the sauce easy to prepare all year round. Jalapeños vary in heat: start with one pepper with the ribs removed for moderate heat, or leave it out if you want a milder sauce. Do not add extra salt right away; the olives and capers already bring plenty of savoriness. Taste the sauce before adding the fish, and adjust the seasoning then.
Serve the fish straight from the pan with cooked rice, which soaks up the sauce nicely, or with warm tortillas for scooping up the sauce and fish. A simple green salad can go alongside, but no extra side dishes are needed. Once cooled, leftovers can be covered and stored in the refrigerator and used within two days. Reheat them gently in a covered pan until piping hot throughout; stir as little as possible to keep the fish whole.
Heat the olive oil in a wide frying pan or sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes, oregano, bay leaves and jalapeño. Bring to a boil and simmer gently, uncovered, for 18–22 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Stir occasionally.
Stir the olives and capers into the sauce. Taste and season with salt and black pepper, bearing in mind the saltiness of the olives and capers.
Place the fish pieces in the sauce and spoon some sauce over them. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan and cook gently for 8–12 minutes, depending on thickness, until the fish is just opaque and flakes easily.
Remove the bay leaves. Sprinkle the parsley over the fish and serve right away with rice or warm tortillas.
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