Fish Baked with Tomato Sauce

Recipe No. 156 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Fish. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

Fish, fresh, dressed — 35 pounds

• Onions, finely chopped — 1 pound (1 No. 56 dipper)
• Celery, diced — 1 pound (1 No. 56 dipper)
• Peppers, green, diced — ¾ pound (¾ No. 56 dipper)
• Shortening, melted — 1 pound (½ No. 56 dipper)
• Flour, sifted — 8½ ounces (⅔ mess kit cup)
• Salt — 1¼ ounces (2½ mess kit spoons)
• Pepper — as needed

Tomatoes — 1 No. 10 can

• Parsley, finely chopped (optional) — 4½ ounces (½ mess kit cup)

Directions

1. Wash fish and remove bones; cut fish into servings and place in well-greased baking pans.
2. Fry onions, celery, and green peppers in shortening until tender but not brown. Add flour, salt, and pepper; mix well. Add tomatoes and parsley.
3. Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer slowly about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Pour over fish. Bake in moderate oven (325° F.) about 1 hour. Serve sauce from pan with the fish.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Fish, fresh, dressed — 2 lb 12¾ oz Onions, finely chopped — 1¼ oz Celery, diced — 1¼ oz Peppers, green, diced — 1 oz Shortening, melted — 1¼ oz Flour, sifted — ⅔ oz Salt — about ⅔ tsp Pepper — to taste Tomatoes — 1 cup Parsley, finely chopped (optional) — about 2¼ tsp

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 156, Fish. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.