Sweet and Sour Fish Casserole
This is a sweet and sour fish casserole, baked in the oven. It goes well with rice and a green salad. The recipe is adapted from The Sephardic Table by Pamela Grau Twena.
½ cup lemon juice
1 (heaping) tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp sugar
½ tsp turmeric
2–3 tbsp vegetable oil
2–3 medium onions, sliced to make 1 cup
2 green bell peppers, sliced
1 chile pepper, finely chopped
6 medium tomatoes, sliced
2–3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
500–700 g white fish fillet (e.g., cod, haddock, hake, pollock)
2 Tbsp finely-chopped parsley or cilantro sprig (optional)
Combine lemon juice, tomato paste, sugar and turmeric in small bowl, mix until smooth. Set this sauce aside.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onions, and sauté until golden-brown and they begin to loosen their moisture. Then, remove using a slotted spoon, and layer in a oven-proof dish.
In the same oil, sauté the bell and chili peppers for 2 minutes or until softened, transfer using a slotted spoon to oven-proof dish, layering over the onions
2 minutes
Layer half of the raw tomatoes over the peppers.
Spread the garlic over the tomatoes, and season with half of the salt and pepper.
In the same oil, sauté the fish for 1 minute, then transfer to dish, place on top of tomatoes, season with remaining salt and pepper.
1 minute
Top the fish with the remaining tomato slices. Spread the lemon-tomato-paste sauce over the top layer.
Cover dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes.
20 minutes
Remove aluminum foil, continue baking 10 more minutes, or until the fish flakes easily when tested.
Sprinkle with parsley or cilantro garnish, if desired.
Serve immediately.
- •The chili pepper can be replaced by chili powder or completely omitted if a less spicy dish is desired.
- •A can of tomatoes can replace the fresh tomatoes.