Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Roasted Red Snapper with Patagonian Pebre Sauce

Red Snapper and Pebre

Every Chilean household seems to have its own recipe for pebre, a table sauce that complements everything from eggs to grilled meats and seafood. Originally from the Spanish province of Catalonia, it is especially good when fresh tomatoes are in season.

Ingredients

  • 4 red snapper, each about 1 pound, scaled, cleaned, and gutted
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of a lime
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)

For the pebre:

  • 4 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
  • 1 small yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons merkén or 1 1/2 teaspoons pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika)
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea), to taste

Directions

Step 1

Rinse the fish inside and out under cold running water and pat dry. Rub them (inside and out) with a mixture of 3 tablespoons olive oil, the lime juice, and salt.

Step 2

Heat the oven to 400°F. Oil a baking dish or rimmed baking sheet large enough to hold the fish in a single layer. Drizzle the top of the fish with olive oil. Bake until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily, about 25 minutes.

Step 3

While the fish roasts, make the sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Taste, adding salt if needed. If tightly covered, the pebre will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator, but it is best when freshly made.

Step 4

Transfer the fish to a platter or plates and serve with the pebre.

Serves 4