Cooking while on vacation and staying in a rental is a good exercise to see how our FINITE FOODIE recipes actually work. The kitchen was stocked better than most rentals, but it still had major limitations. For Christmas Eve, we wanted to prepare a dinner that was simple, didn’t take long to make and didn’t require many staples.
Shopping was our first challenge. We had to take a bus to the closest (if not best) grocery store to check out our choices. Fortunately, fish was fresh and easy to find, so we picked up some sea bass fillets, tomatoes, onions, limes, cilantro and butter. As sides, we bought broccoli and potatoes. (We were getting a little tired of beans and rice as a side for breakfast, lunch and dinner.) The entire meal used only these ingredients, plus some salt and pepper. Even so, it was delicious, satisfying and a big hit with everyone.
Here’s the recipe for what we’re now calling Cancun Fish. The garlic and hot pepper sauce are optional. We didn’t use them in our very simplified version, but we think they would be a nice addition. We steamed the broccoli and boiled the potatoes, tossing them in a little butter and seasoning them with salt and pepper.
| Prep Time | |
| 10 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 10 minutes |
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|
|
Easy!
Moderate (depends on the type of fish and if you can find it on sale)
Serves:3people
Serving Size:5-6 ounces
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We made this dish in a small rental condo while all vacation in Cancun. It uses minimal ingredients that are easy to find, and it only requires a large skillet to cook. You can whip it up in about 15-20 minutes, so there's more time to sit in the sun and swim.
Tools:knife and cutting board, large (10 to 12-inch) skillet
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- 1 onion small
- 2 cloves garlic (optional)
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 1 cup tomatoes chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1-2 pinches black pepper (ground)
- 2-3 dashes hot pepper sauce (optional)
- 1 pound cod or other white fish
- Peel and cut in onion in half. Slice each half to form half rounds. Mince the garlic. Heat butter or oil over medium-low heat in a large skillet, then add onion slices. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until very soft and sweet-smelling.
- While the onions cook, chop the tomatoes. Add tomatoes, garlic, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Cook and stir about 2-3 minutes.
- Cut fish (if needed) into 2, 3 or 4 pieces, using a cutting board dedicated to raw meats/fish. Place fish in the tomato mixture, spooning some of the mixture over the fish. Sprinkle a little more salt and pepper on top. Cover and simmer on low for 7-9 minutes, until fish is opaque and comes apart with a fork. (The cooking time depends on the thickness of the fish. If using thin fish fillets, cook only 2-3 minutes.)
- While fish cooks, chop the cilantro.
- When done, squeeze the juice of half the lime over the fish. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Sprinkle cilantro on top and serve with a wedge or slice of lime (from the remaining half).
SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve with a simple steamed vegetable and boiled potatoes or rice.
This is a great recipe for white fish. I’ve made it a few times as it’s turned out to be the preferred way for my daughter to have fish so I’ll keep making it. It’s so tasty and one can use different types of white fish. I used haddock this time and my family loved it. Didn’t have cilantro so I just sprinkled a little bit of coriander seed powder and garnished with fresh parsley. Served it with yellow rice and broccoli.
So glad you and your family have been enjoying this simple, yet delicious recipe. Flexibility is key to all of our recipes, too. Sounds like you made a colorful plate as well!
I did Cancun fish today for lunch
for 2 people. This is an excellent and
easy to do dish. A tasty and light meal.
As I forgot to shop cilantro I used dill
instead which also proved to be very
nice. Together with a glas of cool white
wine a feast……and the washing up
afterwards quick as I only used one
skillet and the steamer for the potatoes.
I have never thought to steam my potatoes. Did you cut them up first or steam them whole? How long? So glad you enjoyed the fish and got creative with the herbs! Dill is one of my favorites!