Tevzi Badrijanit Brotseulis Tsvenshi

The Georgian name for the Baked Fish with
Eggplant and Pomegranate Sauce recipe
is Tevzi Badrijanit Brotseulis Tsvenshi.

Ingredients:
1 whole (about 4-6 pounds) red snapper
or striped bass, head and tail left on,
cleaned, rinsed and patted dry
1 cloves garlic, crushed in a garlic press
1 cup olive oil, or more as needed
2 medium-sized eggplants / aubergines
(about 1/2 pound each), sliced 1/2-inch thick
3 cups fresh or bottled pomegranate juice
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Rub the fish with salt, pepper,
the crushed garlic, and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil
place in a baking dish. Let stand for 15 minutes.
Bake the fish until opaque throughout,
10 minutes for every inch of the thickness of the fish, measured at the thickest part - 40 minutes to 1 hour,
depending on the size of the fish.
The fish should be browned and crispy on top.
Meanwhile place the eggplant / aubergine slices
in a colander and sprinkle them with 2 tablespoons of salt.
Let stand for 30 minutes.
Rinse the eggplant thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.
Pour the remaining oil into a heavy skillet.
If the oil is less than 1 inch deep, add more oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant slices, a few at a time, until deep golden on both sides, about 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Reduce the pomegranate juice over high heat
to about 1 1/3 cups, taking about 10-15 minutes.
Stir in the onion, minced garlic, red pepper flakes,
basil and cilantro, and season with salt.
Allow the sauce to cool to a warm temperature.
Serve the dish surrounded by eggplant slices
and pass the pomegranate sauce in a sauce boat.