Halibut Veracruzano con Arroz Verde

This is my husband’s favorite meal at one of our favorite restaurants in Santa Barbara, Ca. Los Agaves on Milpas street. We have been going to Santa Barbara ever since we moved to California over a decade ago from England. Every Christmas holiday we spend about 4-5 days in So Cal to soaking up the sun and getting the feel for the Southern California experience. We always eat at Los Agaves at least a couple of times. The food is traditional Mexican with a sprinkle of California flare. The ambience is vibrant and the staff is friendly and attentive. If you’re in SB I highly recommend this place and keep some time, there’s always a line for dinner, at least at this location. And according to my son everything is good on the menu.

Veracruzano is not on the regular menu, but on the specials of the day. Since we loved it so much I was determined to recreate it, I did a bit of digging around and discovered it’s orignally a Spanish dish, and I’m guessing bought to Mexico by the Spanish. The sauce has a strong Mediterranean influence with tomatoes, peppers, garlic wine and lots of olives. Of course Mexicans made it their own by adding the essential jalepeno heat and cilantro. If you’re vegetarian you could make it with beans or pan fried tofu. I highly recommend you make this sauce/ stew because it’s unbelievably delicious.

  

   

Ingredients

• 4 (4-5 ounce) wild sustainable halibut fillets or any white fish of your choice like red snapper, rockfish or tilapia
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed or avocado oil
• 1 medium- largish thinly sliced red onion
• 2  cups, about 4-5 plum tomatoes
• 3-4 medium sized bell peppers, sliced, choose any color you like not green though 
• 4 fat cloves garlic thinly sliced
• 1 medium jalapeño, diced, deseeded if needed
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup Spanish olives, cut into thin rounds, I only had kalamata
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
• Garnish
• 1 medium avocados, peeled and sliced for garnish
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves
• cooked green rice, click here for recipe
  

  Directions

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and garlic, and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.

  Add tomato, jalapeno, sliced peppers, oregano, paparika and white wine. Cook until wine is reduced by 2/3, about 5 to 7 minutes.

  While sauce is reducing, heat oil in a frying pan. Season fish with salt, add halibut to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, flip over and then transfer pan to preheated oven and bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove sauce from heat when reduced and stir in capers, olives and olive juice.

  To serve, divide sauce equally among 4 dinner plates. Place halibut (first caramelized side up) in the center of each plate on top of the sauce. Place avocado slices on top of fish, sprinkle with lime juice and cilantro. Serve with green rice.