Baked Snapper With Oyster Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 (4 1/4-pound) dressed red snapper
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon salt, divided
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 6 mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 3 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried whole thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (12-ounce) container Standard oysters, undrained
• Fresh parsley sprigs

Preparation

1. Rinse fish thoroughly in cold water; pat dry. Place fish in a greased shallow baking pan. Top with sliced onion, bay leaf, and 2 teaspoons salt. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour.
2. Sauté chopped onion in butter in a large skillet until tender. Add mushrooms, tomatoes, chopped parsley, thyme, remaining salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender. Drain oysters, reserving liquid; set oysters aside. Stir oyster liquid into sauce mixture. Cover; simmer 20 minutes. Stir in oysters. Remove from heat.
3. Pour sauce over fish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
4. Transfer fish to a serving platter. Remove and discard bay leaf. Spoon sauce over fish; garnish with parsley sprigs.