Baked Fish Creole

Prepare sauce by heating butter or oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add onions and garlic and cook until tender and wilted- about 4 minutes. Add celery and peppers. Cook for 3 minutes. Do not brown. Add flour and stir in well. Cook 3 minutes longer. Add milk and bring to a boil. Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco. Stir in chili sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Place rice in the bottom of a buttered 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish. Arrange fish fillets over the rice in a single layer. Place sliced tomatoes over the fish. Pour sauce over top.

Bake in a preheated 400 °F (200 °C) oven for 20 min or until fish is just cooked. Serve with a green vegetable.

Microwave Method: In a 3 qt/ 3 L glass casserole dish, cook butter with onions, garlic, celery and green peppers on High (100 % power) for 4 to 6 min until tender. Stir in flour and cook on High 1 to 2 minutes. Add milk and bring to a boil on High for 5 to 7 min, whisking every 2 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne and chili sauce and cook on High for 1 to 3 minutes. Place rice in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) glass baking dish and arrange fish on top with the thicker portions next to the outside edges of the dish. Arrange tomatoes on top of fish and cover with sauce. Cover with waxed paper and cook fish on High 5 to 8 minutes until cooked through. Let stand 5 min before serving.