fish with tomato

Whiting, pageots, mullet, etc. Ingredients for 2 kg (4 lbs 7 oz) of fish, whole or sliced, according to their size.
Leave the fish to marinade several hours in the chermoula (see recipe) and put on one side.
Wash, skin and seed 2 1/2 kg (5 lbs 8 oz) of tomatoes, cut up and put in a saucepan,

* 1 teaspoonful of ginger * 1 coffeespoonful of saffron (preforaba’y crushed saffron flowers)

* 1/2 teaspoonful of ground chilli * 1 crushed garlic clove * 4 soupspoonfuls of chermoula

* 3/4 of a ladle of groundnut oil a little salt * 1 pickled lemon * 6 or 7 olives * 1 handful of chopped parsely

Preparation: 

To be added after cooking  the  tomato

Cook on a moderate heat, stirring often to prevent the tomato sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. When all the liquid has evaporated the tomato will have become a purée. Then add a handful of chopped parsley, the zest of a pickled lemon cut in pieces and 6 or 7 preserved olives. Leave to cook a little longer whilst stirring continuously,

Put a few pieces of reed cut in 4 lengthways in the bottom of a tajin, then place the pieces of fish on the reeds which will stop them from touching the bottom and becoming burnt. Pour the remaining chermoula and the tomato purée over the fish.Decorate with the pickled lemon and olives. Cover and leave to simmer for a few minutes on top of the stove. Then put in a fairly hot oven, with the lid on, for about 45 minutes.

If the sauce is too thin, pour it into a saucepan and boil it down until it thickens. Add a spoonful of flour mixed with a little water to bind and bring to the boil. Pour the sauce into the tajin and eat hot or cold.

The fish can also be cooked in the thick-bottomed saucepan on top of ‘the tomato purée, taking care to lower the heat and to turn the fish over gently without breaking it. When cooked this way, serve in a dish, with the fish on top of the tomatoes.