Preparation:
Good capers are essential to this dish. If possible, visit a deli whose owners are of Mediterranean extraction and buy bulk capers which have been packed in salt. Rinse them to remove the salt before using. If you have to use the more readily available capers bottled in a vinegar solution, blot them dry of vinegar before using.
In a tablespoon of olive oil. gently fry a large onion, chopped. until transparent. Add 4 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped, and cook for a minute or so longer, then add a 400 g tin of peeled tomatoes. chopped, together with their juice, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 20 minutes, then add 2 heaped tablespoons of capers, the zest of a small lemon and a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh mint. Simmer again until the sauce is thick.
Meanwhile heat the grill to very hot, dip 4 serving-size pieces of rudderfish in olive oil and put them under the grill for 3-5 minutes, turning once if using a conventional grill. You may not need to turn the fish at all if you have a fan assisted grill.
Spoon the sauce onto warmed plates, add the fish and serve, preferably with good bread to ensure no sauce is wasted.
From an article by Meryl Constance in The Sydney Morning Herald. |
