Red Snapper Veracruzana (Huachinango A La Veracruzana) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 garlic cloves
2 dried bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 cup olive oil (or less as desired)
salt and pepper, to taste
4 (6 ounce) red snapper fillets
For the Tomato Sauce
3/4 cup olive oil
7 garlic cloves, divided
2 cups white onions, finely chopped
2 1/4 lbs tomatoes, finely chopped
3/4 cup pimento stuffed olive, finely chopped
1/4 cup capers
6 fresh bay leaves (or 3 dried)
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed dried oregano
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 sprigs marjoram (or 1 teaspoon dried)
salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 ounces guajillo chilies (from an 8-ounce can)

Preparation

To Prepare the Sauce:
Heat oil in saucepan. Brown 3 garlic cloves and discard. Mince remaining garlic.
Brown garlic and onion in oil. Add tomatoes, olives, capers, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, marjoram, salt, pepper and chilies.
Simmer 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Sauce will be thick. Remove from heat and set aside. Use as directed.
To Prepare the Fish:
In blender or food processor, blend lime juice, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, oil, salt and pepper to make a marinade. Place fish in large baking dish and pour marinade over it. Cover and marinate about 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove fillets from marinade and place in another large baking dish. Bake until fish is done, about 15 minutes, basting with some of the tomato sauce occasionally. Do not overcook.
To serve, place fillets on a platter and cover with remaining sauce, which has been warmed. Any extra sauce can be served on the side, accompanied with white rice.