Whole Fish with Tomato Sauce

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

3 x 1 pound (500 g) whole fish, snapper, mullet, bream, etc), cleaned
2 tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour
Salt and pepper
2 1/2 ounces (75 g) butter
1 onion, chopped
1 green capsicum (pepper), cored, seeded and chopped
1 red capsicum (pepper), cored, seeded and chopped
2 celery sticks
2 x 13 ounce (410 g) cans tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Few drops of Tabasco sauce
1 bay leaf
Parsley sprigs to garnish

Method:

1. Rinse the fish and pat dry with kitchen paper. Season the flour and rub this all over the fish, inside and out. Place the fish in a casserole or baking dish into which it fits snugly.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion, green and red capsicum and celery and fry until the onion is softened. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Tabasco and the bay leaf. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
3. Remove the bay leaf, then puree the sauce by rubbing through a sieve or working in an electric blender of processor. Adjust the seasoning, then pour the sauce around the fish. Cook in a preheated moderate oven, 350 degrees F (180 degrees C), for 25 minutes or until the fish is tender. Baste the fish frequently with the sauce during cooking. Garnish with parsley.