Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200ºC.

Step 2

For the puttanesca sauce, place the fennel, onion, cherry tomatoes and garlic in an oven-to-table baking dish. Season with salt and pepper and scatter on the thyme. Toss everything around in 2 tbs oil, then bake in the oven for 20 minutes. This lets you get a head start on the other ingredients that don’t take as long.

Step 3

Meanwhile, combine the crushed tomatoes, wine and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the vinegar and season just a little.

Step 4

Pour the hot tomato sauce over the hot vegetables in the baking dish and scatter in the olives and capers.

Step 5

Lightly oil and season the fish. Nestle each fillet down into the hot sauce in the oven-to-table baking dish, leaving the top of the fish just peeping through the sauce.

Step 6

Bake for about 10 minutes. Don’t overcook it. Remember that the fish will continue cooking in the hot sauce after it comes out of the oven. Sprinkle on the reserved fennel fronds and serve immediately.