New Orleans Baked Stuffed Red Snapper With Creole Sauce

This recipe hails from New Orleans, where seafood is a staple. Whole, fresh red snapper, filled with a simple bread stuffing (seasoned with green onion, parsley, salt and and pepper) is then baked and basted with a Creole sauce of tomatoes, celery, onion, green pepper, garlic, bay leaf, and more. Garnished with parsley and some Creole sauce on the side, this makes for a stunning presentation. It is imperative that you select only the freshest fish. Look for clear eyes, bright tight scales and shiny skin, firmness and little to no "fishy" smell. Wrap loosely with foil or waxed paper, refrigerate, and cook within one day.

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• Creole Sauce

• 2  tablespoons butter or 2  tablespoons margarine
• 3⁄4 cup  thinly sliced celery
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped onion
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped green pepper
• 1  garlic clove, crushed
• 1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes or 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1  bay leaf
• 1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
• 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper

• Stuffing

• 4  slices  white bread
• 1⁄4 cup butter or 1⁄4 cup margarine
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped green onion
• 2  tablespoons  chopped parsley
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
•  whole red snapper or   whole  striped bass or   whole cod or   whole  haddock, cleaned
• 2  tablespoons butter or 2  tablespoons margarine, melted
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 2  tablespoons fresh lemon juice
•  chopped parsley

Directions

1. Make Creole sauce: In 2 T. hot butter in medium saucepan, saute celery, 1/2 cup o nion, the green pepper and garlic, stirring, until onion is golden-brown - 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, bay leaf, chili powder, 1 t. salt, sugar, and 1/8 t. pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; reduce heat; simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, 20 minutes or until thickened. Makes about 2-1/2 cups sauce.
2. Make stuffing: Trim crusts from bread and grate on medium box grater or use food processor. Set aside (makes about 2 cups).
3. In 1/4 cup hot butter in medium skillet, saute green onion, stirring for 3 minutes. Add parsley, salt, and pepper; mix well. Add bread crumbs; toss to mix well.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash fish inside and out under cold running water. Drain well; pat dry with paper towels.
5. Line a shallow roasting pan with foil; butter foil. Place fish in prepared pan; brush inside of fish with mixture of melted butter, salt and pepper. Fill cavity with the stuffing; close the opening with skewers or wooden picks. Pour 2 T. lemon juice over the fish.
6. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes. Pour 1 cup sauce over fish. Bake, basting twice, 10 minutes longer, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. With 2 wide spatulas, remove fish to serving platter. Garnish with chopped parsley and pass rest of sauce on the side.