Mexican restaurant fish and seafood fans may be familiar with an old standard usually called Huachinanga Veracruzana, or red snapper baked in a chunky tomato, bell pepper and olive sauce, with perhaps a hint of garlic.

The Intuitive Cook (your blogger) has something fer ya that's even better, called Chipotle Cod Veracruzana.

He works by touch and feel; by what's looking good at the market; and what's in the fridge.

He doesn't care too much for recipes, and might not do things exactly the same way next time around.

But he wants to share this one with you, because it turned out restaurant quality, tonight. The nice thing about both snapper and cod is that it's pretty easy to cook them perfectly, 'till they're just flaking apart.

CHIPOTLE COD VERACRUZANA (Serves 2)

INGREDIENTS:

-1 lb. fresh "true cod," already cut into two half-pound fillets (they're likely to be a bit thick, that's OK)
-1/2 C mixed, medium-dice peppers (Poblano, Anaheim, green bell)
-1/3 C diced shallot
-4 garlic-studded olives, diced
-5 fresh leaves of sage, chopped medium-fine
-1/3 C chipotle-flavored salsa (NOT pure chipotle sauce...too spicy)
-2 slices bacon, cooked to a nice crisp, blotted, and crumbled
-1/4 C dry white wine
-1 T unsalted "sweet" Challenge butter, from California
-dried tarragon, dried thyme
-high-quality olive oil

WATCHA DO:

-Preheat oven to 350, and lube an oval Pyrex baking dish with olive oil.
-Heat medium-large skillet with about 1.5 T olive oil.
-Sprinkle Cod filets liberally on both sides with dried tarragon and thyme.
-When pan is hot, quickly saute filets at medium-high, just to lightly brown, about 1 min. on each side.
-Carefully remove with spatula to greased Pyrex dish, set aside.
-Add another 1 or 1.5 T olive oil to skillet, heat, and add all the vegetables.
-Cook at medium-high about 3-4 mins. to soften slightly, stirring often.
-Add salsa, stir in; add wine, butter, simmer at medium, 2 more mins.
-Add chopped bacon, mix in well, simmer 1 more min.
-Gently spread sauce over fish in Pyrex dish.
-Bake exactly 20 mins. (@350), remove.
-With spatula, carefully place each filet on a separate plate decorated with a peeled, pitted, halved avocado; two fresh lime halves; and tortilla chips.
-Serve with more chips, and warm flour tortillas, plus salad of wild greens.

I know I said this serves two, but the fact is, that could be just for gals. A hungry guy - like yer chef - could easily down two filets. So take stock of your crowd, do the math and plan accordingly.

TECHNORATI TAGS: INTUITIVE COOK, EASY FISH RECIPES, COD, CHIPOTLE COD VERACRUZANA

TO COMMENT: The regular "comment" feature is not in operation. E-mail comments to address under "Contact" on main page masthead, and I'll add them, here.

Posted by Matt Rosenberg at November 16, 2005 10:07 PM