Psari spetsiotiko - fish, spetsai style

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
Karen Mintzias
2 pounds Fish (snapper, porgy, mullet, OR any favorite), cleaned and left whole or sliced into steaks
1 Lemon; juiced
Salt
⅓ cup Olive oil
4 Ripe tomatoes (fresh or canned) peeled and chopped
¼ cup White wine (more if necessary)
4 Garlic cloves; sliced
½ teaspoon Granulated sugar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Chopped fresh parsley
Bread crumbs
Tomato juice, if necessary

Directions

Wash and dry the fish (if using dried cod be sure it was soaked overnight), then sprinkle with salt and lemon juice, particulary inside the neck area if using fish with heads on. Arrange on a baking-serving dish and set aside while you prepare the sauce.

Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the tomatoes, wine, garlic, and sugar and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. (The amount of garlic may be reduced, but it *IS* the most important ingredient.) Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the fish with a light coating of bread crumbs and then with the chopped parsley, then spoon the hot sauce over the fish. Repeat the procedure until all the sauce has been used, ending with a topping of bread crumbs. Bake in a moderate oven (350 F) for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the fish, basting twice with the sauce. (A golden crust will form on the fish, characteristic of this famous style.) During the baking period, add some wie or tomato juice if necessary; some sauce should remain around the fish. Serve hot.

NOTE: This makes an excellent first course with dry white Demesticha or Samos wine.

Source: The Food of Greece - by Vilma Liacouras Chantiles ISBN: 0-517-27888-X

Typed for you by Karen Mintzias

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