Fish in tomato sauce with polenta

Name: Fish in tomato sauce with polenta - Adina M.
Ingredients: 4 small fish; 1 onion; 1 head of garlic; 1/2 bell pepper; 400 ml tomato juice; salt; pepper; parsley; oil; 1 liter of water; 250 g cornmeal; salt

Over - Fish in tomato sauce with polenta by Adina M. - Recipia

Fish in tomato sauce with polenta I made this recipe on a day when I found fresh hake at the fish market, but it works anytime you have fish in the freezer or want something simple with basic ingredients. The polenta is quick to make if you have quick-cooking cornmeal, so you can prepare everything without much hassle. The recipe doesn’t require complicated techniques or a lot of time at the stove. Quick Info Total time: about 50 minutes Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking/baking time: 30 minutes in the oven Servings: 4 Difficulty: easy Recipe type: lunch or dinner, main dish Ingredients 4 pieces of hake (or any similar fish) 1 onion 1 head of garlic 1/2 bell pepper 400 ml tomato juice salt pepper parsley (or other herbs of choice) oil 1 liter water 250 g cornmeal (for quick or regular polenta) salt (for polenta) Preparation method 1. Clean and wash the fish. Cut it into suitable pieces. Sprinkle salt over each piece. 2. Heat a little oil in a pan. When it’s hot, add the fish pieces and lightly brown them on all sides. They don’t need to be cooked through, just to get a thin crust. 3. Finely chop the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. In another pan, heat a little oil. Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Sauté until they soften. 4. Pour the tomato juice over the sautéed vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let it cook for a few more minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens a little. 5. Take a suitable baking dish. Place the fish pieces in the dish, then pour the vegetable sauce over them. 6. Put the dish in the oven at medium heat. Leave it for about 30 minutes. 7. Meanwhile, prepare the polenta. Bring a liter of water to a boil in a pot. When it starts boiling, add salt. Gradually pour in the cornmeal while quickly stirring with a wooden spoon to avoid lumps. Let it cook until it thickens. With quick-cooking cornmeal, it takes about 5 minutes; with regular cornmeal, you need to cook it longer. 8. When the polenta is ready, pour it onto a platter. 9. Remove the fish dish from the oven. Sprinkle with parsley (or other herbs you have on hand). Serve the fish in tomato sauce alongside the polenta. Why I make this recipe often I prepare it because it doesn’t require much work or hard-to-find ingredients. Fish in tomato sauce pairs well with polenta, and if you have frozen fish, it can be made anytime. I like that it easily adapts to what I have in the fridge. Tips and variations Tips Use a suitable dish for the amount of fish, so that there isn’t too much sauce left at the bottom. If you want the sauce thicker, let it simmer a little longer before pouring it over the fish. Substitutions You can use any white fish: cod, pike-perch, perch, or frozen fillets, not just hake. Instead of parsley, other herbs like dill or lovage work too, depending on your preference. If you don’t have quick-cooking cornmeal, use regular cornmeal and cook it longer. Variations The tomato sauce can be made with crushed or chopped tomatoes; it doesn’t have to come from a can. Add a bay leaf or a little thyme to the sauce if you like stronger flavors. Serving ideas It goes well with simple pickles – cucumbers or green tomatoes. You can place the fish with tomato sauce directly over the polenta or serve the polenta separately, sliced. Frequently asked questions 1. Can I use frozen fish fillets? Yes, just thaw them and drain well before cooking. 2. If I don’t have bell pepper, can I omit it? It can be omitted, but add a little more onion or garlic for flavor. 3. Can I use tomato paste instead of tomato juice? Yes, but dilute the paste a little with water so it’s not too concentrated. 4. Is it mandatory to fry the fish before the oven? It helps with flavor and texture, but you can skip this step if you want to avoid oil. It may be more delicate in the oven. 5. What can I replace the polenta with? It also works with mashed potatoes or simple bread if you don’t want polenta. Nutritional values (estimated) One serving (out of 4) has approximately: Calories: 350-400 kcal Protein: 25-30 g Fat: 8-12 g Carbohydrates: 45-50 g The values depend on the type of fish used, how much oil you add, and whether you choose quick or regular polenta. It’s a balanced meal with protein, carbohydrates, and moderate fats. Storage and reheating The fish in tomato sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave, but the fish may change texture slightly upon reheating. The polenta hardens if left, but it can be sliced and reheated by steaming or in a pan. It’s best to consume the dish fresh.

Preparation

We start with the fish: I had whiting, so we clean the fish, wash it, and cut it into pieces. We sprinkle it with salt. In a pan, we heat oil; when it's hot, we add the fish and fry it a bit on all sides. We wash and finely chop the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. We put a pan with oil on the heat and fry them. We add tomato juice, salt to taste, and pepper. We let it cook for a few more minutes. We take a baking dish, place the fish in it, and pour the tomato juice over it. We bake it in the oven for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, we prepare the polenta: In a pot, we put 1 liter of water and put it on the heat. When it boils, we add salt and cornmeal, being careful not to create lumps. We stir quickly with a wooden spoon and let it cook until it thickens. I used quick cornmeal for the polenta :). When it's ready, we turn it out onto a plate. When the fish is ready, we take it out, add parsley, and serve it with polenta. You can use any kind of fish; I used whiting. Instead of parsley, use any herbs you like. I used quick cornmeal for a polenta ready in 5 minutes; normal cornmeal can be used, but the cooking time is longer.

Fish in tomato sauce with polenta

Preparation

Tags

Categories