Portuguese Fish Stew

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 10 lbs mixed fresh fish
• salt
• 200 ml olive oil
• 6 red onions, sliced thinly
• 8 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 2 kg tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into small pieces
• 1 dash vinegar
• 8 black peppercorns
• 1 dash piri-piri or 1 dash hot sauce
• 2 fresh chili peppers, seeded and chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 green peppers, seeded and cut into strips
• 25 g butter
• 12 slices bread, cut 1 inch thick

Recipe

• 1 trim and clean the fish and salt slightly.
• 2 set aside.
• 3 pour the olive oil into a large flameproof casserole.
• 4 heat, then add the onions and brown.
• 5 add the garlic, parsley, chillies and bay leaves, then add the tomatoes and vinegar.
• 6 stew for a while, stirring occasionally.
• 7 do not allow the ingredients to burn and stick.
• 8 pour over a little water and add the peppercorns, piri piri sauce, salt and nutmeg to taste.
• 9 bring to the boil.
• 10 meanwhile, rinse the fish to remove the excess salt.
• 11 cut into slices.
• 12 add the fish to the stew in layers, with the tougher fish at the bottom.
• 13 layer the strips of green pepper between each layer of fish.
• 14 spread the butter over the bread.
• 15 place the bread over the top of the dish.
• 16 cover and cook over a low heat, shaking the casserole from time to time to prevent sticking; do not uncover.
• 17 when the contents begin to boil, and the liquid has soaked and covered the bread completely, the dish is ready to serve.
• 18 place a slice of bread on each plate and ladle over the rest of the stew.