Serves 6

2 cups fish or seafood broth

4 cups tomato juice

1 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 bay leaves

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups tomatoes, diced

1 cup onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeño pepper, minced

½ cup green olives with pimientos, sliced

¼ cup black olives, sliced

2 tablespoons capers

1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated

¼ teaspoon thyme leaves

¼ cup fresh parsley, minced

2½ pounds grouper fillets, cut in 1-inch dice

• Bring broth, tomato juice, wine, lemon juice, and bay leaves to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

• In a deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes, onions, garlic, and jalapeño. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes or until tomatoes begin to soften. Reduce heat to medium and add olives, capers, lemon zest, thyme, and parsley. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add a little fondue broth if mixture becomes too dry.

• Pour broth and tomato juice mixture into 1 or more fondue pots and place over heating source. Arrange raw grouper on a serving platter and ladle tomato-olive sauce mixture into individual bowls. Guests can skewer grouper pieces and cook them until opaque in fondue broth, then dip in Vera Cruz sauce or ladle it on.