Marinated Fish

Ingredients

Fish (fillet) 400 g

Carrots 4

Onions 2

Tomato paste 1 tbsp

Flour

Vinegar 9% 1 tsp

Bay leaf 2

Black peppercorns 7

Salt

Sugar

Vegetable oil

Any fish will do for this dish. Fillets are best, of course, but whole fish or even small fish will do. Cut the fish into portions (cook small fish whole), season with pepper, coat in flour and salt, and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown on both sides. Set aside.

Add more oil to the pan if needed and fry the onion, sliced into half rings, until translucent. Add the carrots, cut into strips or coarsely grated. Shredded carrots are preferable, but if you use a grater, use a coarse one so the carrots retain their shape in the finished dish. Fry for another 3-4 minutes, until the carrots have softened slightly and settled slightly.

Add tomatoes or tomato paste, depending on the season and availability. If using fresh tomatoes, peel them and chop finely, or even grind them in a meat grinder. For a brighter color and richer flavor, you can add a little tomato paste, but this is optional. If using tomato paste, dilute it with water until it reaches the consistency of sour cream.

Simmer everything together for 3-4 minutes. Add enough water or fish broth to completely cover the vegetables, then add a little more on top. Season with salt, sugar, and enough vinegar, lemon juice, or wine to give the marinade a pleasant sweet and sour taste.

 If you find the tomatoes' acidity sufficient, you can omit the vinegar. Add the bay leaf and black peppercorns, bring to a boil, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Return the fish to the pan. Arrange the vegetables and fish so that the fish rests on top of the vegetables and is covered. If you have a large amount of fish, layer the vegetables and fish, with the vegetables being the first and last layers.

Add water, if necessary, to level the fish, cover, and simmer until the fish is cooked through. The cooking time depends on the size of the fish pieces, but typically takes 5-10 minutes.

Remove from heat, let cool completely, and then refrigerate for 3-4 hours. Serve cold as an appetizer.

Enjoy!