By far my favorite fish dish in Ortiz’s Mexican Cooking, this recipe makes for some excellent fish tacos.
Essentially, this dish is a white fish cooked in a salsa verde, or green sauce with ground nuts used as thickener. In this case, using a combination of almonds, walnuts and sesame seeds. What I love about this dish is its combination of regional and continental cooking styles. The classic Mexican green tomatillo sauce, seasoned with serrano chiles and coriander is gives a nod to European sensibility with the addition of white wine.
I am inclined to turn every Mexican recipe into a taco, but in this case that action actually truly is justified.
Ingredients
1 cup white wine
1 can green tomatoes
2 x onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 lbs white fish (halibut, sole, etc)
1/2 cup blanched almonds
1/2 cup walnuts
1 tbsp sesame seeds
6 x canned serrano chiles
1 tbsp coriander, chopped
Directions
- Bring white wine to a boil along with 1 cup of liquid from canned tomatoes, onions, garlic and salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Poach the fish in this court bouillon until cooked and remove gently.
- Blend bouillon with almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds, green tomatoes, and coriander until a puree. Re-heat and pour over fish. Serve with lemon slices.
