Recipe

Baked Florida Sierra with Cuban Sofrito and Homestead Tomatoes

Name: Baked Florida Sierra with Cuban Sofrito and Homestead Tomatoes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 2 whole sierras ( Spanish mackerel , Scomberomorus maculatus ) of 650-750 g each, gutted and cleaned; Salt to taste; Ground black pepper to taste; 600 g ripe tomatoes, preferably from Homestead in season; 1 medium onion; 1 small red bell pepper; 1 small green bell pepper; 4 cloves garlic; 100 ml dry white wine; 30 ml olive oil (2 tablespoons); 1 bay leaf; ½ teaspoon dried oregano; ¼ teaspoon ground cumin; Salt and pepper to taste; A few tablespoons of hot water, only if needed; 1 lime in wedges; Chopped fresh parsley

Whole sierra (Spanish mackerel) baked over a Cuban sofrito of tomato, peppers, and onion, with Homestead tomatoes when in season.

CiberCubaNovember 6, 2026

Image generated with AI.CiberCuba

Preparation20 min
Cooking50 min
Total time1 h 10 min
Servings4 servings
DifficultyMedium

Sierra admits many preparations: fried in rounds, pickled, or stewed in sauce. Here we bake it whole over a bed of Cuban sofrito of onion, peppers, garlic, cumin, and oregano, for a Sunday meal with fresh fish.

It is an adaptation with Island flavor and a product of southern Florida. Buy Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus); do not confuse it with king mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla), which is another species. Common names change depending on the fishmonger, so confirm the species and origin when buying.

For the sofrito, take advantage of ripe Homestead tomatoes when available. According to UF/IFAS, the Miami-Dade tomato harvest is concentrated mainly between December and May. In November, check local availability or use ripe tomatoes from other areas of Florida. The origin indicated in this proposal does not replace checking the product you buy.

Method

Keep the fish in the refrigerator until ready to use. Dry it well inside and out with paper towels; do not wash it under a running stream that splashes. With a sharp knife, make two shallow diagonal cuts on each side, season inside and out with salt and pepper, and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the sofrito.
Chop the onion and red and green peppers into small dice, the garlic very finely, and the tomatoes into small pieces, keeping their juice.
Image generated with AI.CiberCuba
Preheat the oven to 200 °C (top and bottom heat).
In a wide skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion and peppers for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and the onion is translucent.
Add the garlic, cumin, and oregano and stir for 30 seconds, just until they release their aroma, without burning the garlic. Pour in the white wine and let it reduce for 2 minutes.
Incorporate the chopped tomato and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you obtain a thick but juicy sauce.
Image generated with AI.CiberCuba
Spread a little more than half of the sofrito on the bottom of a baking dish, place the two fish on top, and distribute the rest of the sofrito over them, leaving part of the skin visible.
Image generated with AI.CiberCuba
Bake for about 20-25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Halfway through cooking, drizzle them with the sauce from the dish; if you see they are drying out, add a few tablespoons of hot water.
Check doneness: the flesh should look white and opaque, flake easily, and reach 63 °C in the thickest part, measuring with the thermometer without touching the bone. If it has not yet reached this, bake for 3-5 more minutes and check again.
Image generated with AI.CiberCuba
Remove the bay leaf. Separate the fillets from the central bone and serve in four portions, checking carefully for bones, with the sofrito on top, lime wedges, and chopped parsley if you like.

Tips and variations

Fish doneness. The cooked flesh should be opaque and flake easily. Check with a thermometer that it reaches 63 °C (145 °F) in the thickest part, without touching the bone. Color alone does not allow checking safety or freshness.

Guideline times. The 20-25 minutes in the oven are for fish weighing 650-750 g. If the pieces are thin, start checking at 18 minutes; if they are thick, they may need more time.

Cold chain and hygiene. Transport the sierra refrigerated and keep it at 4 °C or less until preparation. Ask for it gutted and cleaned; dry it with paper towels, without splashing the kitchen. Wash hands, cutting board, knife, and surfaces after handling raw fish and before preparing ready-to-eat foods.

Wine. Use dry white wine without added salt to control the salt level of the sofrito.

To serve. You can serve it with white rice and avocado. These sides are not included in the ingredients or times of the recipe.

Storage. Refrigerate leftovers, without bones and with their sauce, in a shallow container within 2 hours, or 1 hour if the environment exceeds 32 °C. Keep at 4 °C or less and consume within a maximum of 2 days.

Sources. Miami-Dade tomato season: UF/IFAS, publication TR014, Tomato Production in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Fish identification: Spanish Mackerel fact sheet from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Handling and cooking temperature: FDA, Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely.