Baked Fish in Caramelized Onion & Tomato Sauce
A beautiful piece of fish nestled in caramelized onions and sun-ripened tomatoes? Yes, please! Each bite is bursting with sweetness, jampacked with flavor, hearty but not heavy.
Caramelized onions requires patience, low and slow is the way to go. Like, REALLY slow - to bring out the sweetness of this humble vegetable. Dedicate a little extra love to transform these simple ingredients into a luscious sauce. Once the sauce is ready, the fish cooks rather quickly in the oven.
This dish is traditionally prepared with Carp. This large fish can be found in rivers and lakes across the Balkans but it’s notoriously hard to catch! Since carp isn’t readily available at US markets, I used salmon but Halibut is also a wonderful option that holds up beautifully in the caramelized onion and tomato sauce.
I hope you’ll add this to your list of favorite fish recipes.
Ingredients
2 salmon portions (4 oz each)
1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp vegeta, freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, sliced into rings
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 large ripe tomato, peeled & chopped
1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1 small garlic clove, minced
pinch of sugar (1/8 tsp)
1/2 c water
1 bay leaf
drizzle of olive oil
Directions
Pat fish dry and season fish with vegeta, salt and pepper. Refrigerate while you prepare the sauce.
In a skillet over low heat, sautee onions in 1 tbsp oil and season with 1/4 tsp salt. Keep moving onions around for even caramelization for around 20 minutes. Keeping the heat low is key to prevent burning. The onions should have a deep golden color with just slight browning.
Add in fresh tomato, tomato paste, garlic and sugar. Keep things moving in the pan for 1-2 minutes until tomato paste in evenly incorporated and garlic is fragrant.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Add 1/2 cup water to pan. Cook covered for about 10 minutes until liquid is reduced by half. Sauce should be rich and thick.
Spread prepared sauce evenly into an oven safe dish. Place whole bay leaf in dish.
Nestle fish into sauce. Drizzle with olive oil.
Bake until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, about 15 minutes. Adjust cooking time as needed to match thickness of fish.
Serve simply with fresh bread to dip in the rich sauce and a fresh green salad. A few lemon wedges are optional for an extra bright finish.
Enjoy! Tag me on IG if you try it @balkanbasics
