It’s been a few weeks since my trip to Loreto in Baja California Sur, Mexico and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the food as much as I did the incredible views and starting each day with yoga on the beach. OK and maybe those creative cocktails and mocktails, the spa treatments and the sunsets…

Besides all the beautiful, fresh local fruit, the traditional Mexican foods and of course, their house-made gluten-free baked goods, the beautiful seafood was above and beyond, it is certainly what I most remember, when I think of all the delicious food. Most, if not all, the seafood served at the Villa del Palmar is sourced from the local waters, the Sea of Cortez. Chocolate clams (chocolate for their color, don’t worry they didn’t serve with chocolate) and the various fish were my favorites. You cannot beat fresh seafood, caught in the morning and served up to you in the evening.

One of the best dishes I had at the Danzante Restaurant & Bar at the resort was their signature Danzante Fish. Served with either local cabrilla fish or parrot fish and topped with a 3 chile sauce, this dish was my choice for our first dinner at the resort, just a few hours after we arrived. I was nearly dancing in my seat over the incredible brilliance and simplicity of this recipe that is matched with a flavor profile that screams Mexico. The heat from the chiles is quite subdued considering how intense the sauce appears, this is due to the selection of more mild peppers and the key – removing the seeds.

The resort traditionally serves this dish over a cilantro cream risotto, which is a nice cooling compliment to the spices, though I personally opted for simple grilled veggies, avoiding the grains and dairy. It would also be really great served over cauliflower rice, possibly with a cilantro cream sauce made with cashews, if you prefer to avoid dairy.

Without having access to the beautiful seafood from the Sea of Cortez, I went to the market and chose two beautiful halibut filets, as it was the freshest and most sustainable choice of a firm-fleshed white fish, it’s also one of my personal favorites. Feel free to select another fish based on what is most fresh near you.

This 3 chile sauce is smokey, earthy, bold, it’s heat isn’t overpowering and it has the most beautiful rice color to it, a perfect compliment to a fresh, firm-fleshed, flakey white fish, like halibut.

[print_this]Danzante Halibut with 3 Chile Sauce
{gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo-friendly}
serves 2
recipe adapted and recreated, original courtesy of the Villa del Palmar Loreto

3 Chile Sauce

• 3 dried whole Guajillo chiles, stem and seeds removed
• 1 dried whole chipotle pepper, stem and seeds removed
• 1 dried whole ancho chile, stem and seeds removed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Fish Filets 

• 2  8 ounce filets of sustainably-caught halibut or other firm-fleshed white fish
• olive oil
• sea salt
• freshly cracked black pepper

For Topping:

• fresh cilantro
• red onions
• red cabbage
• lemon wedges

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Pour boiling water over the dry seeded chiles. Allow to sit for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain the water and roughly chop the peppers. Add the peppers and the remaining ingredients to your high speed blender. Process until well blended and mostly smooth. Set aside.

Brush the fish filets lightly with a small amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a seasoned cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook the fish for 3-5 minutes on one side. Then remove the pan from the heat.

Turn the filets over so the raw part of the fish is down and spoon the 3 chile sauce on top of the fish. Put in the oven for 5-8 minutes until opaque and flakey. Serve immediately topped with fresh cilantro, red onions or red cabbage and a lemon wedge. [/print_this]