Stuffed baked catfish

Name: Stuffed baked catfish
Ingredients: 1 whole catfish (about 1.5 kg); 2 large white onions; 2 carrots; 1 medium leek (150 g); 4 garlic cloves; 1 red bell pepper; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; 50 ml oil; 150 ml water; 50 ml white wine

Fish - Stuffed baked catfish by Violeta J. - Recipia

Stuffed baked catfish, with vegetables inside and in the pan, was a slightly different way I chose to cook the catfish I received. The vegetables soften in the juices in the pan, and the fish is served straight from it with them. I always put a few strips of carrot and leek beside the fish, without any other sauce. Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: 50 minutes. Total time: 70 minutes. Serves: 4. About 390 kcal and 40 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

1 whole catfish (about 1.5 kg)
2 large white onions
2 carrots
1 medium leek (150 g)
4 garlic cloves
1 red bell pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
50 ml oil
150 ml water
50 ml white wine

Preparation

1. Clean the catfish, cut off its head and pat it dry well with paper towels. 2. Peel the onion, carrots, leek and garlic, and clean the pepper. Cut the vegetables into thin strips and the garlic into slices. 3. Season the fish on both sides and inside with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pour the oil into the pan and place the fish in it. 4. Put some of the vegetables inside the fish and the rest in the pan. Add 150 ml water and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 180°C for 45 minutes, until the flesh turns opaque and flakes easily. 5. Remove the foil, pour the wine into the pan and bake for another 5 minutes. The juices bubble gently around the edges.

Notes

Pour in the wine without heating it before the final five minutes; for an alcohol-free version, replace it with 50 ml water. Keep the cooked catfish in a covered container in the fridge for no more than 3 days. I serve it with warm polenta and a glass of white wine, without any other sauce. Choose a fish with clear eyes and moist skin; one that weighs more than 1.5 kg or is thicker at the back may need longer in the oven. If I want to serve it at a specific time, I start preparing it about 70 minutes beforehand.