This recipe is baked sea bass or grouper in home made tomato sauce and dressed with mayonnaise. Actually the usual au gratin is sprinkled with bread crumbs with cheese or butter but this recipe calls for mayonnaise. This dish also have a sauce with lots of fresh tomatoes.

Ingredients:

1 Large onion, sliced into rings
1 large (1/2 kilo) sea bass (apahap) or grouper (lapu-lapu)
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon lemon or calamansi juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1 quart mayonnaise

For the sauce:

1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
3/4 kilo tomatoes. peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon MSG
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

How to cook Royal Apahap Au Gratin:

• Arrange onion rings in baking dish. Rub with sea salt and lemon or calamansi juice. Place fish in baking dish on top of onion rings.
• Drizzle with olive oil and water. Bake in 350° F oven for 10 minutes.
• Spoon sauce over fish and bake for another 15 minutes. Top with mayonnaise, bake for another 5 minutes, then serve.

How to make the sauce:

• Over low-medium heat, saute garlic in oil until light golden brown, Add onions and saute until wilted. Add tomatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes, then add oregano , thyme, salt, pepper, MSG, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste, then add parsley.