Pescado al Horno con Coco y Jengibre (Coconut-Ginger Baked Fish)

About This Recipe

While central Cuban cooking leans on citrus and garlic mojo for fish, the eastern provinces near Baracoa carry a distinct coconut-forward tradition shaped by Afro-Caribbean influence — coconut milk, ginger and citrus show up in stews and baked seafood there in a way that's genuinely part of Cuban regional cooking, even if it's less internationally known than mojo-marinated snapper. This recipe leans into that Baracoa-style approach: firm white fish fillets baked in a light coconut-ginger sauce brightened with lime. The fish is seasoned simply and baked directly in the sauce rather than poached separately, so it absorbs the coconut and ginger as it cooks. A short broil at the end firms up the top and gives it light color without drying the flesh, since white fish fillets can turn rubbery fast if overcooked. Served with white rice or boiled yuca to soak up the sauce, this is a genuinely regional, if lesser-known, side of Cuban cooking — coastal, warm-spiced, and built around what fishing communities actually had on hand.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4white fish fillets(such as tilapia or snapper, about 170g each)
• 1 tspfine sea salt(divided)
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 1onion(thinly sliced)
• 1red bell pepper(thinly sliced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 tbspfresh ginger(grated)
• 1 can (400ml)coconut milk
• 1lime(juiced, plus wedges to serve)
• 1tomato(diced)
• 0.25 cupchopped cilantro

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the fish

   Pat fillets dry and season both sides with half the salt and the black pepper. Set aside.

2. 2

   Preheat and build the sauce base

   Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and red pepper until softened, about 6 minutes.

3. 3

   Add aromatics

   Stir in garlic and ginger, cooking 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to let the garlic brown.

4. 4

   Simmer the coconut sauce

   Pour in coconut milk, lime juice, diced tomato and remaining salt. Simmer 5 minutes until slightly thickened.

5. 5

   Bake the fish

   Nestle fish fillets into the sauce, spooning some sauce over the top. Transfer to the oven and bake 12-15 minutes until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

   Check at 12 minutes — fillets under 2cm thick cook fast and dry out quickly if left too long.

6. 6

   Finish under the broiler

   Switch oven to broil for 2 minutes to lightly color the tops of the fillets.

7. 7

   Serve

   Scatter with cilantro and serve hot with lime wedges over white rice.

Variations

• •

  Add a diced Scotch bonnet or habanero (seeded, for less heat) for a spicier, more Caribbean-leaning version.

• •

  Swap coconut milk for a mojo-style citrus-garlic sauce for the more common central-Cuban approach to baked fish.

• •

  Use shrimp instead of fish fillets, reducing bake time to 6-8 minutes since shrimp cook much faster.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 2 days in the sauce. Reheat gently in a covered skillet over low heat — high heat will toughen the fish.

Frequently Asked Questions