Mexican seven seas fish is a specialty of La Cenaduría, a lovely old adobe restaurant in San Jose del Cabo. It combines fresh red snapper filets, a mild salsa roja, and just enough manchego cheese to melt over the top. The description of the preparation that I was given mentioned only “red sauce;” since this is a broad category, I have included a recipe for a cooked red salsa which complements the flavor of the fish without overwhelming it.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. skinned red snapper, grouper or trigger fish filets
- 1 1/3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 egg yolks, beaten
- 1/2 cup beer
- 2 cups shredded manchego cheese
- vegetable oil for frying
Pat the filets dry with paper towels; set aside.
Place the flour, salt, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and the egg yolks in a deep bowl and mix well.
Add the beer, a little at a time, stirring the batter after each addition.
Heat about one inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet.
Preheat the broiler.
Dip the filets in the batter to coat, and place them in the skillet, being careful not to crowd them.
Lift the filets gently with a spatula to check for color, and when they are golden, carefully turn and cook them on the other side.
Place the filets on a baking sheet, ladle red sauce (see Note, below) on each, and top with shredded cheese.
Broil only until the cheese melts and turns bubbly. Serve at once.
Serves 4.
Note:
For the red sauce, you may use your favorite mild enchilada sauce, or make a sauce by liquifying until smooth: 8 lightly toasted, seeded and soaked cascabel chiles, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 4 garlic cloves, 2 roasted roma tomatoes, a pinch of cumin, salt to taste, and enough of the chile-soaking water to achieve the consistency of an enchilada sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium saucepan, add the liquified mixture, and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes. This may be prepared in advance, refrigerated and reheated before topping the fish.
Cooking on the Sea of Cortez: Culinary adventures in Baja California
