Mojo Isleño 
(Puerto Rican fish with tomato-olive sauce)

Fresh whole red snapper fish
Image © iStockphoto

Mojo isleño is a popular way to prepare fish in Puerto Rico. It’s name can be translated as “islander sauce,” and its components — olives, peppers, garlic and bay leaves — are typically Puerto Rican.

Sometimes called mojito isleño.

Mojo Isleño

Course: Fish and SeafoodCuisine: Puerto Rico
Makes 4 to 6 servings

Mojo isleño is a popular way to prepare fish in Puerto Rico. It’s name can be translated as “islander sauce,” and its components — olives, peppers, garlic and bay leaves — are typically Puerto Rican.

Ingredients

  • Olive oil — 1/4 cup

  • Onion, chopped — 1

  • Bell pepper, chopped — 1

  • Garlic, minced — 4 to 6 cloves

  • Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced — 2 cups

  • Red wine vinegar — 2 tablespoons

  • Green olives, pitted — 1/4 cup

  • Capers, rinsed — 1 tablespoon

  • Bay leaf — 1 or 2

  • Salt and pepper — to taste

  • Olive oil — 1/4 cup

  • Fish fillets, cut in serving size — 2 pounds

  • Salt and pepper — to taste

Directions

  • Heat the first 1/4 cup olive oil in a saucepan over medium flame. Add the onions and peppers and saute until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Stir in the tomatoes, vinegar, olives, capers, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until somewhat reduced.
  • Heat the remaining olive oil in a saute pan or skillet over medium high flame. Season the fish with salt and pepper and saute on both sides until both sides are lightly browned.
  • Pour the prepared sauce over the fish and simmer until the fish is cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Mojo Isleño Notes and Variations

  • Use other seafood like shrimp or scallops in place of the fish.
  • Substitute pimentos for the chopped bell pepper. Add at the same time as the tomatoes.
  • Marinate the fish in some minced garlic and lime juice before sauteing if you like.
  • The fish can also be grilled and the sauce served on the side.

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