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Cuban-Style Snapper in Tomato-Pepper Sauce

Category: Florida Seafood & Fish Yield: 4 servings (scale 2/4/6/8 in the app) Prep 15 min Cook 30 min Total 45 min Method: STOVETOP Main: snapper

Onion, peppers, and garlic cook down into a sofrito, then simmer with tomatoes, cumin, oregano, and olives. Snapper fillets poach right in the sauce until tender, and the dish is great over white rice. Scale the people count in the app to 2, 4, 6, or 8 — ingredients adjust from this base of 4 servings.

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Food safety

Simmer the fish until it reaches 145°F or the flesh is opaque and flakes easily. Use one board for vegetables and a separate board for raw fish, and wash your hands after handling it. Wash the peppers and onion and scrub the lime before cutting.

Allergens: fish

Equipment

  • large deep skillet with lid
  • wooden spoon
  • 2 cutting boards
  • knife
  • instant-read thermometer

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

  • 1.5 pounds snapper fillets, cut into 4 portions
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup canned tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions

  1. 1. Wash the onion, peppers, and lime, then slice the vegetables. On a separate board, pat the fish dry and season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.

  2. 2. Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and both peppers 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and sweet. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.

  3. 3. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, olives, and remaining salt. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes until slightly thickened.

  4. 4. Nestle the fish into the sauce and spoon some sauce over the top.

  5. 5. Cover and simmer gently over medium-low heat 8 to 10 minutes, until the fish reaches 145°F, or the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork.

  6. 6. Remove the bay leaf. Serve with lime wedges and white rice.

  7. 7. Chill leftovers within 2 hours (1 hour if the room is above 90°F).

Skill taught

Building a sofrito of onion, peppers, and garlic and gently poaching fish in sauce.

Affordable substitution

Use frozen tilapia, swai, or pollock fillets thawed in the refrigerator overnight; thinner fillets cook in 5 to 7 minutes.

Optional variation

Add 1 tablespoon of drained capers or a handful of raisins to the sauce for a sweet-salty twist.

Leftovers & storage

Cool and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (within 1 hour if above 90°F). Store at 40°F or below and eat within 3 days. Reheat to 165°F until steaming hot.

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