WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS? Classic amarillo is a mole-style sauce from Oaxaca. Although amarillo literally means “yellow,” the sauce is more of a light rust orange in color. We wanted a version of this lively, tangy, slightly spicy sauce to dress up mild white fish. For the cod, we cooked the fillets simply, sprinkling them with just a bit of sugar to accelerate browning. This shortened the cooking time and ensured that the fish didn’t dry out. Be sure to immediately remove each fillet when it reaches 140 degrees. You will need a 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet for this recipe. Serve with rice or warmed tortillas.
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded, and torn into ½-inch pieces (6 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- 3 tablespoons masa harina
- 1 (8-ounce) bottle clam broth
- 8 ounces tomatillos, husks and stems removed, rinsed well, dried, and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 6 sprigs cilantro
- Salt and pepper
- 4 (6-to 8-ounce) skinless cod fillets, 1 to 1½ inches thick
- ½ teaspoon sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Toast guajillos in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently until fragrant, 2 to 6 minutes; transfer to a bowl.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, oregano, cumin seeds, cloves, and allspice, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in masa harina and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in clam broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps.
- Stir in tomatillos, cilantro sprigs, toasted chiles, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until tomatillos begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and process until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Return to the pot and cover to keep warm.
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Pat the fish dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. If using any tail-end fillets, tuck the tail under. Sprinkle sugar evenly over one side of the fish.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch oven-safe nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Place the fillets in the skillet, sugar side down, and press lightly to ensure even contact with the pan. Cook until browned, about 2 minutes.
- Using 2 spatulas, flip the fillets. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the fish until the centers are just opaque and register 140 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Using potholders (skillet handle will be hot), remove the skillet from the oven. Transfer the fish to a serving platter or individual dishes. Serve with the sauce.
