Mediterranean fish casserole
Recipe by:
Brenda Houghton
-
Serves:
4
-
Yield:
4 servings
-
Ready in:
45 mins
(20 mins
Prep
-
25 mins
Cook)
Hearty fish steaks baked with garlic, tomatoes and herbs make a dish redolent of the Mediterranean coast. Try serving with rice or crusty bread and a green salad, or a side dish of green vegetables such as Roasted Asparagus with Caramelised Shallot Dressing or Braised Fennel (both on this website).
Ingredients
-
2 teaspoons olive oil
-
1 tablespoon dry white wine or stock
-
2 sticks celery, thinly sliced
-
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
-
150 g (5½ oz) red onions, thinly sliced
-
600 g (1 lb 5 oz) plum tomatoes
-
1 lemon, thinly sliced
-
1 tablespoon tomato purée
-
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
-
4 fish steaks, such as swordfish or tuna, about 125 g (4½ oz) each
-
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
-
3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, or 1 tablespoon dried
-
Salt and black pepper
-
To garnish: sprigs of fresh rosemary and chopped fresh oregano
Preparation method
- Heat the oil and wine or stock in a flameproof casserole then add the celery, garlic and onions and fry for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until they have softened.
- Roughly chop the tomatoes (they can be peeled if you like) and add them to the casserole with the lemon, tomato purée and the sugar, if needed (it depends how acid the tomatoes are). Bring to the boil and simmer, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften.
- Arrange the fish in a single layer on top of the vegetable mixture. Tuck in the sprigs of rosemary, sprinkle with oregano and season to taste.
- Cover the casserole and leave it to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the flesh is just firm, spooning the juices over the fish occasionally. Serve garnished with chopped oregano and a sprig of rosemary.
Copyright
Copyright by The Readers Digest Association, Inc. 1998
Tip
the olive oil can be omitted, if you prefer, but even a little helps to capture the Mediterranean flavour.