Fish in Tomato Marinade

Fish

 * 1½ pounds of whitefish fillets with skin left on, cut into 2-inch pieces
 * 1 tablespoon of salt
 * freshly ground black pepper
 * ½ cup of flour
 * ½ cup of vegetable oil

Sauce

 * ¾ cup of vegetable oil
 * 2 tablespoons of white vinegar
 * 3 teaspoon of sugar
 * ¼ teaspoon of powdered cloves
 * 2 cups of coarsely chopped onions
 * ¾ cup of tomato paste
 * 1 bay leaf, coarsely crumble
 * 5 whole black peppercorns
 * 1 teaspoon of salt

Directions

 * 1) Sprinkle a tablespoon of salt and a few grindings of pepper on the fish. Now coat it well with flour and vigorously remove any excess flour.
 * 2) Now heat up oil in a heavy 10 to 12 inch skillet until a light haze forms above it.
 * 3) Add some pieces of fish, lower the heat to moderate and brown them 3 to 5 minutes of each side.
 * 4) Transfer the browned fish on double thickness of paper towels. Repeat this with all the fish.
 * 5) Pour ⅓ of the marinade into a shallow 2-quart enameled, baking dish and arrange half the fish in it in one layer.
 * 6) Moisten the fish with ⅓ more of the marinade and arrange the remaining fish in another layer on top.
 * 7) Pour in the remaining marinade and let the fish marinade uncovered and unrefrigerated for at least 6 hours.
 * 8) Now refrigerate, tightly covered with plastic wrap, for at least 24 hours before serving.

Sauce

 * 1) In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over high heat until a light haze forms above it.
 * 2) Drop in the onions, reduce the heat to moderate and, stirring frequently, cook for few minutes until the onions are soft but not brown.
 * 3) Stir in the tomato paste, vinegar, sugar, cloves, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt and bring to a boil.
 * 4) Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer undisturbed for about 15 minutes. Then remove from heat and cool the marinade to lukewarm.