Fish Portuguese
Almost any white fish is suitable for this dish which is just about as simple as it is possible to be and yet produces a really great combination of colour flavour and texture.
Simple easy to prepare dishes like this are quite important and for those busy production periods in any galley, when you need to have an array of dishes that are easy and quick to prepare and yet rewarding and impressive.
As a busy ships cook you have to balance what you are able to achieve with the number of catering crew you have available to you, as well as the time and equipment you have, these are important factors when planning menus. So a dish like this is suitable when you have another more complex time consuming dishs on the menu.
Although I have emphasized simplicity of this dish it really is beautiful dish and very popular with all crews and for fish lovers it is just perfect, and I know from experience the crew think it is perfection on a plate, and your crew will love it too.
Fish Portuguese
Ingredients
The Fish
- 5 kg White boneless skinless Fish This recipes lends it'self to any white Fish
The Portuguese Sauce
- 1400 grams Peeled Canned Plum Tomatoes
- 1200 grams Sliced Onions
- 120 grams Garlic Chopped
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Bried Basil
- 1 tbsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tbsp Dried Parsley
- Salt and Black Pepper to Taste
- 5 kg Boneless Skinless Cod
You will also need
- Seasoned Flour
- 250 grams Butter
- 250 ml Vegetable Oil
Instructions
- Prepare the Portuguese Sauce first;- Fry the sliced onions in the olive oil in a suitable pot without colour until the onions start to go soft then add the chopped garlic and continue to fry to sweat the garlic,
- Add the tomato puree and the chopped canned tomatoes with the juice from the can.
- Bring to a simmer, add the sugar and herbs, season with salt black pepper and a little sugar to taste and allow to simmer until all the flavour's are infused into the sauce. You can leave it on the side of the stove over a low heat, or put a lid on the pot and place it in the oven set at 150°C. for 30 minutes.
- Now we can prepare the fish while the sauce is cooking. Here we can see the fillets of boneless skinless Cod on the tray on the left, a bowl of seasoned flour to the rear and a bowl with a mixture of melted butter and vegetable oil, then to the right a lightly oiled clean shallow gastronome tray.
- Dip each fillet of fish first into the seasoned flour and coat fully, then dip into the oil and butter mixture and place each fillet of fish onto the lightly oiled tray, folding the fish in half.
- Once all the fillets of fish are on your trays place the pot of hot Portuguese sauce on the bench next to the fish.
- We are going to now use just half of our sauce. Using a small ladle put some sauce over each fillet of fish without covering the whole fillet, we want some of the white fish to still be visible, we don't flood the fish with sauce, we will be adding more sauce later, this sauce is just to impart some colour and flavour to the fish.
- Return the remaining sauce to the stove and keep warm.
- This fish will only take about 15 minutes to cook, so about 20 minutes before your service time starts,Place the fish in the oven at 180C for 15 Minutes, When the cooking time is complete just check the core temperature has reached 75C. if not return to the oven.
- as the fish is about to come out of the oven ensure the remaining sauce is hot..
- When the fish comes out of the oven the sauce may look a little dry on the top, but you will also see the way the Portuguese sauce infuses into the fish.
- When the fish has reached temperature and is cooked remove from the oven and transfer to a clean tray and add a little more fresh Portuguese sauce. then
- Garnish with Lemon and Chopped Parsley and place on the counter for service.
