Baked White Fish (e.g. Halibut, Cod or Hake) with Lemon and Cucumber Relish

Ingredients:

• 6 pieces of filleted white fish, each weighing about 6 ounces
• 1 small spoonful (bigger than a teaspoon but not as big as a tablespoon) olive oil
• flaky salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice on each piece of fish
• 1/2 of a large or 1 whole small red onion, diced and chopped very small
• 2 fat cloves of garlic, skinned and finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley -preferably flat-leaved
• finely grated rind of 2 lemons - wash well and dry before grating
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
• 6 good table spoons of extra virgin olive oil
• flaky salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper
  
  For the relish:
  
  
• 6 large vine tomatoes
• 1 cucumber,
• 2 red peppers

Method:

This recipe is most convenient because the fish can be prepared several hours in advance of cooking, all ready to pop into the oven. The relish is also very much better prepared well ahead to let the tastes settle down together. Use whichever firm-fleshed white fish you chose - or can get.

Line a baking tray with parchment. Put the pieces of fish onto this, spoon oil over each and season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice - just a small amount - on each.

Cover with another sheet of baking parchment and, shortly before eating, bake in a hot oven 400oF, Gas Mark 6, for 5 minutes. Then, take the baking tray out of the oven, lift the top paper and gently fork into the thickest piece of fish to test whether it is cooked. It will most probably need another 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish - it can take up to 15 minutes if the pieces are small but thick.

For the Relish:

Skin, deseed and dice the tomatoes neatly to about the size of a fingernail, then skin the cucumber, scoop the seeds away and dice the flesh to approx the same size as the tomatoes.

Cut the red peppers in half and remove the seeds. Grill them, skin side uppermost, until black blisters form and put them in a polybag for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and dice the pepper flesh.

In a bowl, mix together all of the prepared ingredients for the relish, mixing very well. Cover the bowl and leave for several hours or overnight.

Serving:

Serve a large spoonful of relish on each piece of hot fish.

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