huachinango a la veracruzana

while enjoying my brief moments of mental health yesterday, i remembered a recipe i used to make quite often, during the "tahoe years" i am pretty sure that it originated with my pal from those days, who now lives near seattle. we shared lots of good cooking together. almost everything we cooked was mexican food.


this one was a favorite, and i still love it, though i have not made it much lately. i was twenty,in the summer of 1977. the summer that elvis died. at that time, i shared a place with a couple of guys that worked a lot. this was in homewood, california- on the western shore of lake tahoe. in the winter, we worked at the ski area there. in fact, this house was located near the base of the chair lift.

i paid low rent while i lived there, because part of the deal was that i would cook healthful meals for these dudes when they were around.(i guess that i was channeling donna reed, even then.) they were not around terribly often, so it was a pretty sweet situation, overall. until one night, when i got home late from my restaurant job, and climbed into my bed. one of the roommates called to be from his room, inviting me (quite brazenly) to hop into his bed with him. i declined, and felt really odd living there, after that. about a month later, i stored all my stuff and left for alberta, canada. but that's another tale.

funny, how remembering something like a recipe can make a person think of long-past circumstances, and long-vanished people.


RED SNAPPER VERACRUZANA

tomato sauce:
3/4 cup olive oil
7 garlic cloves, divided
2 cups finely chopped white onion
2 1/4 pounds tomatoes, finely chopped
3/4 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, finely chopped
1/4 cup capers
6 fresh bay leaves or 3 dried
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed dried oregano
2 sprigs each: fresh thyme and marjoram, or 1 teaspoon each dried
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces chilies gueros (from an 8-ounce can)
MARINADE:
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 garlic cloves
2 dried bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed oregano
3/4 cup olive oil or less as desired
Salt and pepper to taste
4 (6-ounce) red snapper fillets

PREPARE SAUCE:
Heat oil in saucepan. Brown 3 garlic cloves and discard. Mince remaining garlic. Brown garlic and onion in oil. Add tomatoes, olives, capers, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, marjoram, salt, pepper and chilies. Simmer 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Sauce will be thick. Remove from heat and set aside. Use as directed.

MEANWHILE, PREPARE MARINADE:
In blender or food processor, blend lime juice, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, oil, salt and pepper to make a marinade. Place fish in large baking dish and pour marinade over it. Cover and marinate about 1 hour in the refrigerator.

BAKE FISH:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove fillets from marinade and place in another large baking dish.

Bake until fish is done, about 15 minutes, basting with some of the tomato sauce occasionally. Do not overcook.

TO SERVE:
Place fillets on a platter and cover with remaining sauce, which has been warmed. Any extra sauce can be served on the side, accompanied with rice.

Makes 4 servings