Caribbean-style baked whole fish on a bed of vegetables

Ingredients:

• 2 whole fish (1.4 kg), cleaned and weighed, such as striped bass, tilapia, flounder, or sole
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Juice of 2 limes
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2 onions, peeled and halved (portions)
• 1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced ​​(portions)
• 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 3 bay leaves
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 2 and 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon broken dried oregano
• 1 tbsp. tomato puree
• Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Preparation:

1. Rinse the fish thoroughly under cold running water and pat dry on both sides and inside. Make several 0.8 cm deep slits on each side of the fish. Place it in a shallow dish or plate (not metal) and drizzle with lime juice. Let it rest while you continue preparing the rest of the fish.
2. Preheat oven to 190°C.
   
   Grease the bottom of a shallow glass or ceramic dish large enough to fit the fish with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté half the onion and half the bell pepper slices in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then arrange the vegetables in the bottom of the dish.
   
   Tear 2 bay leaves into small pieces and sprinkle them over the vegetables. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes. Place the fish on top of the sliced ​​vegetables.
3. In a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic, salt, and oregano into a paste. Rub this paste into the inside of the fish and into the cuts. Place the remaining bay leaf inside the fish.
   
   In the same small bowl where you prepared the garlic paste, combine the tomato puree and wine vinegar. Mix well. Pour this mixture over the fish. Sprinkle with the remaining onion and pepper pieces, halved cherry tomatoes, and drizzle with the remaining olive oil and white wine.
   
   Season again with salt and pepper, cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil, and bake until the fish flakes when pierced with a fork, 45-50 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve hot or warm, drizzled with any juices.