Fish Stew (Moroccan Tagine) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Charmoula
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
3 -4 medium garlic cloves
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
Tagine
2 lbs firm white fish fillets
3 -4 carrots
2 potatoes
2 ripe tomatoes
2 sweet green peppers
2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup water

Preparation

Charmoula:
Blend the herbs together in a bowl with the garlic & vinegar until pasty. Stir in the lemon juice & spices.
Tagine:
Cut the fish into 2 inch pieces. Rub each piece with the charmoula & then place into the bowl to marinate (at least 30 minutes).
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Slice the carrots in half down the middle. Peel the potatoes & slice thinly. Slice the tomatoes crosswise. Remove the seeds from the peppers & slice into large pieces. Set aside --
Place the carrots across the bottom of a 9x13 cake pan (fat end, skinny end, fat end, etc). This becomes a sort of bed for the fish, keeping it from sticking to the bottom & assuring that there is always sauce underneath to give it flavor.
Arrange the fish on top of the carrots. Dip the sliced potatoes into the charmoula & spread over the fish. Repeat with tomatoes & peppers. Sprinkle the garlic over the vegetables.
Mix the remaining charmoula with the tomato paste, lemon juice, oil, & water. Pour this over the vegetables.
Cover with aluminum foil & bake 35 minutes. Remove the cover. Raise the oven heat to the highest setting & move the pan to the uppermost shelf of the oven. Bake additional 20 minutes, or until the fish is cooked & a nice crust has formed over the vegetables.
Serve warm, not hot.