Mexican Baked Fish

Ingredients

For the baked fish

4 x 180 g thick white fish fillets, skinned
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
1 x 400 g canned chopped tomatoes
1 sweet red pepper
150 ml water
10 whole green olives
1 tbsp chopped pickled jalapeño chillies
tbsp salted capers, rinsed
pinches dried red chilli flakes
1 bay leaf
chopped coriander, for serving

For the avocado lime salad

2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground sea salt and black pepper
2 shallots, very finely sliced
2 medium avocado
few sprigs watercress
2 tbsp coriander leaves
handfuls tortilla chips

Method

• For the fish, preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Rub the fish with the lime juice and salt and set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan, and cook the onion for 10 minutes, until soft and but not coloured. Add the garlic and continue frying for 1 minute.
• Add the tomatoes, red pepper and water. Stir to mix and tip in the olives, capers, jalapeno chillies, chilli flakes and bay leaf. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the peppers are tender.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Sear the fish for 1 minute on both sides. Place in an oiled baking pan, and spoon the sauce on top.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish fillets – the fish should flake easily when it’s ready. While the fish is in the oven, make the salad.
• For the salad, whisk the lime juice with the olive oil, sea salt and pepper, and shallots. Cut each avocado in half, remove the stone, roughly cube, and drop into the dressing. Add the watercress and coriander and lightly toss together. Just before serving, crush the tortilla chips in your hands and scatter over the top of the salad.
• Garnish the baked fish with chopped coriander, and serve with the salad and a mound of fluffy boiled rice.