Whole baked fish

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Ingredients:

* 1x1.5 kg whole fish, cleaned

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 2 tablespoons lemon juice

* 2 onions, sliced top to base in 1 cm slices

* 3 cloves garlic, crushed

* 2 tablespoons olive oil

* 1 green capsicum, seeded and sliced in 4x1 cm slices

* 1-2 red chillies seeded and thinly sliced

* 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

* 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

* 5 or 6 small tomatoes, chopped

* 2 tablespoons tomato sauce

* 2 tablespoons fresh coriander or parsley, chopped

* 80 g blanched slivered almonds, finely toasted

* 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Rub fish with salt and prick several times on each side with a fork. Place fish in a dish and squeeze lemon juice over it.Leave for 2 hours. cook onions and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Add the capsicum, chillies, turmeric and curry powder. Cook gently for several minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce and chopped coriander or parsley.

Scatter half the blanched almonds in a baking dish. Put in half the sauce and then the fish and its marinade. Spoon remaining sauce over the fish. Sprinkle with the remaining blanched almonds and cover dish tightly with foil.Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10-20 minutes.

fish should feel firm to the touch when ready. Serve immediately, garnished with lemon wedges.HINT Parsley, can be kept successfully in the refrigerator. Stand the bunch in a jar of water.