Mulet Farci à la Saint-Louisienne

Ingredients

 * salt and pepper
 * two bay leaves
 * one bunch of cilantro and/or parsley, stems and leaves separated and chopped
 * one mullet (3 to 4 pounds), whole (cleaned: fins, gills, internal organs, scales removed)
 * one cup crushed bread crumbs
 * two cloves of garlic, minced
 * one bunch of green onions (bulbs and lower part of stems), chopped (opional)
 * two to four tomatoes (half finely chopped chopped; half cut into quarters)
 * one tablespoon tomato paste
 * two onions, sliced
 * two hot chile peppers, cleaned and quartered
 * one teaspoon thyme
 * cooking oil

Directions

 * 1) Preheat oven to medium heat.
 * 2) Begin making the broth: Heat two cups of water in a saucepan. Add the salt, black pepper, bay leaf, and cilantro and/or parsley stems. Simmer.
 * 3) Cut the fish: With a sharp knife, carefully cut open the fish from head to tail along its dorsal ridge (the "top edge" of the fish's "back"). Gently peel back the skin, taking care not to tear it. Remove the bones and the edible flesh of the fish. Set aside the head, skin, and tail to use later.
 * 4) Separate the bones from the flesh. Add the bones to the broth in the saucepan. Continue to simmer.
 * 5) Prepare the stuffing: Moisten the bread crumbs with a few tablespoons of water. Crush, chop, or grind together the cilantro, parsley, garlic, and green onions, salt, and pepper to form a paste. In a large bowl, combine this paste with the boneless fish, the bread crumbs, and the finely chopped tomatos and/or tomato paste. Stir to mix well.
 * 6)  Stuff the fish: Gently fill the fish skin with the stuffing so as to make it resemble its original shape. Use a needle and kitchen thread to sew the dorsal cut closed.
 * 7) Arrange the chopped onions, chile peppers, and quartered tomatoes on a baking dish. Sprinkle with thyme and a few tablespoons of cooking oil. Place the stuffed fish over the vegetables. Cover with a sheet of aluminium foil to make a "tent".
 * 8) Place the baking dish in the over. While the fish is baking, strain the broth into a bowl. After twenty-five minutes, remove the foil from the baking dish and pour the broth over the vegetables. Bake for an additional twenty minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the fish is browned.
 * 9) Serve fish and vegetables over rice.