Fish with herbs in tomato sauce

Ingredients

1 kg whole white flesh fish (cleaned and scaled)
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped coriander leaves
225 grams canned finely crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly crushed garlic
1 tablespoon freshly crushed ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme leaves
1/2 cup dry sherry
Juice from 1 lemon
4 tablespoons plain tomato paste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Method

Heat up oven to 250 degrees centigrade.

Cut fish into serving slices in a manner such that you can reassemble the whole fish again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Reassemble whole fish on an oven safe serving dish. Place dish with fish in a mid position in oven and bake until fish is slightly cooked. Approximately 10-15 minutes. Just long enough to evaporate all water moisture from fish.

Remove fish from oven and set aside.

Heat oil in frying pan to simmering point.

Stir in finely chopped onion, ginger, garlic and thyme. Cool until onion becomes transparent.

Add finely crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix well together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the sauce is well blended and the finely crushed tomatoes are cooked. Gradually blend in the dry sherry little by little.

Add half the chopped parsley, half the chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice. Mix well together and continue to cook until the sauce thickens to your preferred consistency. Allow for enough sauce as it will be used for oven baking the fish next.

Heat oven again to 200 degrees centigrade.

Sprinkle the remaining chopped parsley and coriander on the fish in the serving dish. Pour the tomato sauce over the fish in a uniform manner so as to distribute evenly.

Put the fish back into the oven and cook for 10 minutes at 200 degrees centigrade. Reduce heat to 150 degrees centigrade. Continue to cook until sauce thickens further to your preferred sauce consistency. Be careful not to overcook.

Serve immediately and eat with fresh bread and a salad.

Enjoy.

Source : 

Madeleine's recipe : Fish with herbs in tomato sauce

Discover more of Madeleine’s Mauritian cuisine in

‘Best of Mauritian Cuisine’ by Madeleine and Clancy Philippe