Veracruz Sauce "Pescado a la Veracruzana"

Ingredients

8 Fillets of Red Snapper

3 Tablespoons Olive oil.

1 Medium onion.

2 Pounds ripe tomatoes, roasted or boiled, peeled and cored or 3 15oz cans good quality tomatoes lightly drained.

2 Cloves garlic minced.

20 meaty green olives (Manzanillo) pitted and rough chopped.

2 Tablespoons large Spanish capers.

2 Medium pickled “chiles jalapenos” stemmed, seeded and sliced or chopped.

1 Tablespoon pickling juices from the chiles.

1 1/2 Teaspoons mixed dried herbs (marjoram and thyme)

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley.

1 Cup clam juice or water



Spice bag cheesecloth or coffee filter

3 Bay leaves

1 Inch cinnamon stick

2 cloves

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

Method

The fish rinse fillets, lay them on a non-corrosive dish and sprinkle with lime juice and salt. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

The Sauce In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 7 minutes. Tomatoes should be peeled, cut in half, seeded and then cut into 1 inch pieces. Collect all the juices from the tomatoes in a bowl. Add garlic to the onion and stir for about 30 seconds, then add tomatoes and their juices. Simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce the liquid. Put olives, capers, Jalapeno pieces, pickling juice, mixed herbs, clam juice and chopped parsley along with your spices in cheesecloth or coffee filter bag and add to the tomato mixture. cover and simmer for about ten minutes. remove spice bag and taste, adjust seasonings if you must!

Baking method pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. place the fillets in a single layer in a lightly greased baking dish. spoon the sauce over them, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until fish just flakes when pressed firmly with a fork in the thickest part. Serve on warm dinner plates.