Yucatán Fish
- Total Time
- 1 hour 30 minutes, plus 45 minutes’ marinating
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1medium red onion, thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper
- 1serrano pepper, sliced or chopped
- ½cup orange juice
- ¼cup lime juice, more as needed
- 2teaspoons achiote (annatto) powder, available in Latino and Indian markets
- Pinch of cinnamon
- ½teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- ¼teaspoon chipotle chile
- ½teaspoon cumin seed
- ½teaspoon cloves
- 6allspice berries
- 4garlic cloves, smashed to a paste
- 1¾pound grouper or sea bass fillet, skin on
- 2ripe tomatoes, sliced thick
- Banana leaves, available in Latino and Asian markets, or use parchment or foil
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Preparation
- Step 1
Make the pickled onions: Put onion in a bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Add serrano, 3 tablespoons orange juice and 2 tablespoons lime juice, then mix well. Set aside for at least 15 minutes. Combine and reserve remaining citrus juice for marinade.
- Step 2
Make the marinade: Put achiote, cinnamon, oregano and chipotle in a small stainless steel or glass bowl. In a small dry skillet over medium heat, lightly toast cumin, cloves and allspice until fragrant, 1 minute or less. Grind toasted spices to a powder in a spice mill or mortar, then add to other spices. Add garlic, 1 large pinch salt and remaining citrus juice and stir to make a paste. If very thick, add more lime juice. (Note: achiote may stain surfaces or clothing.)
- Step 3
Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Using a sharp knife, score skin at thickest parts, if desired. Paint fish on both sides with marinade. Squeeze a little lime juice over fish. Chill for 45 minutes (or up to 2 hours).
- Step 4
Bring fish to room temperature and heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut banana leaves crosswise into footlong lengths and soften by passing them briefly over a stovetop burner. Rinse leaves and pat dry. Lay a double thickness of leaves on a baking sheet and lay fish on it, skin-side down. Top fish with a large handful of pickled onions. Arrange tomato wedges over onions. Sprinkle with salt and a little more lime juice. Lay more leaves on top, then wrap like a package, tying with string or strips of leaf. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove and let package rest, unopened, for 15 minutes. Serve with remaining pickled onions.
Private Notes
Comments
Actually Mexico is a very large varied nation. You may have enjoyed cuisine from another region but Yucatán cuisine does use cloves and allspice.
Excellent recipe. Cumin, cloves, and allspice berries, are spices used frequently in the southern traditional Mexican cuisine, and in the prepping of other sauces like Mole. The final result was an amount of well balanced flavors with a lot of deep to it.
I have made this in banana leaves and in parchment; both work fine. Maybe the 25-minute cooking time is slightly too long. This is a bit of a project—procuring ingredients one might not have, juicing the citrus fruit, toasting spices, grinding spices, and making the pickled onion. If one is going to do it, it is probably best to go whole hog and do the black beans and rice, the lime and cilantro garnish, and invite people over!
Yes!!! YES!!!
Excellent recipe. Cumin, cloves, and allspice berries, are spices used frequently in the southern traditional Mexican cuisine, and in the prepping of other sauces like Mole. The final result was an amount of well balanced flavors with a lot of deep to it.
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