Baked Seafood in a Spiced Sauce

This dish reminds me of summer; warm, colourful and fragrant, which is exactly what I need to get through the bleak months of winter.

The spices add such a delicious depth of flavour to this dish, that your mouth will water even while its baking, let alone when you serve it up! Add a crisp green salad and some crusty bread, and you’ll have a wonderfully fulfilling meal your entire family will love.

What you need

• 800g firm white fish fillets
• 2 medium calamari hoods – cleaned, Take the easy way out and ask your fishmonger to do it for you 🙂
• 8 green prawns
• 1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves

For the marinade

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup fresh coriander leaves – washed
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil – reserve 2 tablespoons for the sauce
• 2 teaspoons cumin – ground
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt pepper

For the sauce

• 375g tinned tomatoes
• 1 cup celery – finely chopped
• 2 roasted capsicums – chopped

What to do

Combine all the ingredients (except or the reserved oil) for the marinade in a small bowl and put to the side.

If the fish fillets are large, cut them in half. Slice the calamari into large pieces. Shell and devein the prawns, leaving the tails in tact.

Place seafood in a bowl and pour marinade over the top, mix through. place in the refrigerator to marinade.

In the meantime, make the sauce by placing the capsicum in a baking dish and bake in a 200° oven for 20 – 30 minutes or until charred on the outside – turn half-way.

Place charred capsicum in a plastic bag for 10 minutes to sweat and cool down. This will make peeling the charred skin off easier.

Remove and discard the skin and seeds from capsicums, then place the flesh in a blender. Add the tomatoes and celery, and puree until smooth.

Heat the reserved oil in a frying pan, add the sauce and fry on a medium heat for 5 minutes.

Spread half of the sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange the seafood, including the marinade, over the top then cover with remaining sauce.

Place the baking dish in a 180° oven and bake for 20 – 30 minutes – or until the calamari is cooked through and tender.

To serve, sprinkle coriander leaves over the seafood and serve with a crisp green salad and crusty sourdough bread.