DanielleRose
Fish and Red Rice
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2 fillets fish (any firm white fish)
- 5 thick slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 1 vidalia onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 bell or cubanelle pepper, diced (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Crystal hot sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 bay leaves
- salt, pepper and smoked paprika for sprinkling
- parsley or other fresh herbs, for garnish
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350.
Oil a baking pan.
Fry bacon in a skillet until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve two tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan. Sauté the onion, celery and pepper over medium-low in the bacon fat until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, salt, garlic powder, Crystal hot sauce and bay leaves. Simmer for 10 minutes on low. Stir in the rice and half of the reserved bacon and remove it from the heat.
Pat the fish fillets dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the tomato and rice mixture into the baking pan. Top it with the fish. Sprinkle with smoked paprika.
Bake it for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness and density of the fish. Keep an eye on it at the end. It will be opaque and springy to the touch when it’s done. If you’re unsure, you can stick a fork in it. It should slip through easily when it’s done.
To serve, crumble the rest of the bacon over the top and garnish with fresh herbs.
