WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS? Originally from the seaside town of Veracruz, traditional pescado a la Vercruzana is now a common fish preparation throughout Mexico. The dish is usually made with white fish served in a light yet aromatic tomato sauce. For our brothy, flavorful sauce, we began by sautéing onion and garlic with chili powder for subtle heat and cumin for extra depth of flavor. Canned diced tomatoes gave our sauce a satisfyingly chunky consistency, and a bit of white wine brightened everything up. Braising mild-flavored cod in this savory sauce both gave the fish a deeper flavor and infused the sauce with seafood flavor. Halibut, snapper, bluefish, monkfish, and sea bass fillets are good substitutes for the cod.
SREVES: 4
INGREDIENTS:
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- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
- 1 onion, halved and sliced thin
- Salt and pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
- 4 (6-to 8-ounce) skinless cod fillets, 1 to 1½ inches thick
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
INSTRUCTIONS:
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- Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in tomatoes, wine, and thyme and bring to a simmer.
- Season cod with salt and pepper. If using any tail-end fillets, tuck the tail under.
- Nestle the cod into the skillet and spoon some sauce over the fish.
- Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the fish flakes apart when gently prodded with a paring knife and registers 140 degrees, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the fish to individual plates.
- Stir cilantro into the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon the sauce over the fish and drizzle with extra oil before serving.
