Pampano empapelado (pompano fish in parchment paper)

Traditional recipe from Campeche state

From the book:
La cocina económica (Inexpensive Cooking)
First Edition: Around 1940s,
Ediciones Josefina Velázquez de León

ingredients

whole pompano (about 2 pounds)
2 onions
2 oz. green olives (pitted)
4 red peppers
the juice of 2 oranges
the juice of 2 lemons
achiote (A paste made from seeds of the annatto tree, easy to find in Mexican markets and stores)
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
vegetable oil
4 hard-boiled eggs
1 lettuce
1 bunch radishes
parchment paper
salt
pepper

For the sauce
1. Chop onions, olives, and red peppers. Sauté together in hot oil.
2. When onions turn translucent, about 8 minutes, add the orange juice, achiote, parsley, salt, and pepper.
3. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes, until flavors mix.
4. Remove from flame and add chopped hard-boiled eggs.

For the fish
1. Remove bones and score the sides with a sharp knife.
2. Place in a dish with 2 qt. water, the juice of 1 lemon, and a tbsp. of salt.
3. Soak for 20 minutes. Drain.
4. Rub fish inside and out with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
5. Cut sheets of parchment paper to wrap the fish. Coat the paper with oil and place the fish on it.
6. Fill fish with sauce and pour the remaining sauce on top. Wrap fish in paper and secure it with toothpicks.
7. Place in a baking dish in a 350 degrees F oven and bake for 20 minutes.
8. When done, unwrap fish and place on platter. Pour the sauce retained in the paper over the fish.
9. Garnish with lettuce and radish slices.Note: Striped bass is a good alternative for pompano.

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