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Cuba · Mutton Snapper

Cuban Baked Stuffed Snapper

Pargo Relleno

A party dish in Cuban homes: a whole snapper soaked in garlicky sour-orange mojo, filled with a shrimp and ham stuffing and baked until golden.

  • Prep 35 min
  • Cook 45 min
  • Serves 6
  • Level Medium
Photo: Chris Olszewski · CC BY-SA 4.0
Served with: Cuban Red Beans and Rice ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the fish and mojo

For the stuffing

Method

Step by step, the way it is done on the island.

  1. Marinate. Cut 3 slashes on each side of the fish. Mix the sour orange, garlic, cumin, oregano and salt and rub it inside and out. Let it sit 30 minutes in the fridge.
  2. Make the stuffing. Cook the onion and pepper in the oil 5 minutes, add the garlic, then the shrimp and ham for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, wine, breadcrumbs and parsley and season. It should hold together loosely.
  3. Stuff the fish. Heat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Fill the belly with the stuffing and close it with toothpicks or kitchen string.
  4. Bake. Lay the fish in an oiled baking dish, pour over the leftover mojo and the olive oil and bake 35–45 minutes, basting twice, until the thickest part reaches 135 °F (57 °C).
  5. Serve. Rest 5 minutes, pull the toothpicks and serve the fish whole with spoonfuls of stuffing and the pan juices.

On the side

The side dish that belongs with it, full recipe included.

Cuba

Cuban Red Beans and Rice

Congrí Oriental

Red beans and rice cooked together, the way they make it in eastern Cuba around Santiago. The beans tint the rice a deep reddish brown.

  • Prep 15 min
  • Cook 40 min
  • Serves 6
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 2 cans (15 oz) small red beans, drained, liquid saved (or 1 cup dry, cooked)
  • 1½ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 3 strips bacon, chopped (optional)
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2½ cups liquid: the bean liquid plus water
  • 1 tsp salt

How to make it

  1. Sofrito. Fry the bacon in a heavy pot until crisp. Add the oil, onion and pepper and cook 6 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and oregano for 1 minute.
  2. Fry the beans. Add the beans and fry them in the sofrito for 3 minutes, so the rice picks up their color.
  3. Add rice and liquid. Stir in the rice, the liquid, bay leaf and salt and bring to a boil.
  4. Cook low and rest. Cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, rest 10 minutes covered, and fluff with a fork.

Photo: Lorena Galicia · CC BY-SA 4.0

More ways to cook Mutton Snapper

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Nassau, BahamasBahamian Boil Fish
Bahia, BrazilGrilled Snapper with Passion Fruit Sauce
Chorrillos, Lima, PeruPeruvian Fish a la Chorrillana