Grilled Fish
A delightful grilled fish dish featuring smoky red and vibrant green sauces, perfect for family dinners or gatherings.
Ingredients
For the Red Sauce
- 4 pieces cascabel chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 1 piece ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
- 1 piece guajillo chile, stemmed and seeded
- 1 piece pasilla chile, stemmed and seeded
- 2 pieces chiles de árbol, stemmed, seeded and veins removed depending on desired spice level
- 4 pieces small Roma tomatoes, quartered
- 1/2 piece white onion, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 whole cloves
- 1/2 cup safflower, canola or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 teaspoon ground achiote (annatto) seeds
- 1 pinch ground cumin
- 1 pinch dried oregano
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt, plus more as needed
For the Green Sauce
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 cups parsley leaves and tender stems
- 1/2 cup safflower, canola or vegetable oil
- 1 pinch ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
For the Fish and Serving
- 1 whole red snapper (or tilapia, bass or branzino), butterflied
- 1 to taste sea salt
- 10 pieces corn tortillas, warmed for serving
- 1 cup refried black beans, warmed for serving
- 1 cup red or green salsa of your choosing, or both for serving
- 1 pieces lime wedges for serving
Instructions
Make the Red Sauce
- Soak the chiles in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water. Heat on low until it simmers, then cover and let it soak for 15 minutes.
Make the Green Sauce
- While chiles soak, blend garlic, parsley, oil, cumin, and salt until smooth. Set aside and clean the blender.
Finish the Red Sauce
- Add the soaked chiles and their water, tomatoes, onion, garlic, whole cloves, oil, orange juice, lime juice, achiote, cumin, oregano, and salt to the blender. Blend until smooth. Adjust salt to taste. You can store extra sauce for later.
Prepare to Grill
- Heat your grill or grill pan over medium heat and brush with oil.
Prepare the Fish
- Dry the fish and score the flesh side deep enough for the sauces to soak in. Lightly season with salt.
Sauce the Fish
- Spread red sauce on one side and green sauce on the other side of the fish.
Grill the Fish
- Grill skin-side down for 7-10 minutes. Flip carefully and grill until the flesh is charred and cooked through.
Serve
- Place the fish on a platter, flesh-side up. Serve with warm tortillas, refried black beans, your choice of salsa, and lime wedges.
Notes
Make sure your grill is hot before placing the fish on it for the best char. If you like more heat, add extra chiles de árbol. Always taste the sauces before serving to adjust seasoning. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Use within 2-3 days. The sauces can also be kept in the fridge for a week or frozen for up to 3 months.