Roasted Fish with Chile-Water (Pescado Asado con Agua -Chile)

Easy to cook with head on, hard to photograph.

The only fish I ever ate while growing up was the heavily-battered, deliciously crunchy fried fish at Luby’s Cafeteria in El Paso, Texas. So it stands to reason that I never learned to cook fish either. In fact until recently, I was reluctant to cook fish at home.  Hilario Fernandez, the chef at Zarela cooked it so beautifully that, if I wanted fish, I’d eat at the restaurant.

Once the restaurant closed and I started working on this section of Naturally Light Mexican Food, I had no choice but to do it. I started cooking fish fillets “blackened” a la Paul Prudhomme (recipe coming) and that is still one of my favorite quick, light and healthy meals.  But I love whole fish and my first tries were not successful- they were either over or under cooked. Now I learned the secret. I get a 2-pound fish, preheat the oven to 400°F, rub a spice mixture or paste on the fish and cook for 20 minutes. It works like a charm on sea bass, red snapper, branzino.

In Puerto Vallarta, they skewer freshly caught fish with a stick and cook it over a wood fire. When ready to serve, they pour agua-chile over it and the sauce penetrates the flesh giving it spicy, tangy, fresh notes of flavor. Nothing could be easier or healthier.

In the food processor make a paste with

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

with the machine running, add 4 canned chipotle chiles in adobo and 2 tablespoons olive oil and process until smooth.

Wash and thoroughly dry the a 2-pound fish with paper towels. Make three slanted cuts on the thick part of each side and rub the fish with salt.  brush or spread the chipotle paste on both sides; place in a roasting pan and cook for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile combine:

1/4 cup cold water

the juice of one lime

2 jalapeño chiles or to taste, tops removed but not seeded, coarsely  chopped

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1/4 cup chopped o sliced white onions

salt to taste.

As soon as the fish is ready, transfer it to a serving platter and pour the sauce over it and serve immediately.

Thanks to my neighborhood fish store giving me good prices on excellent products .