MÂHI TU-POR
IRAN
This is probably Iran’s most festive fish dish, which comes from the north of the country. In this recipe, the fish is stuffed with a dried fruit and nut mixture and bathed in a lemony saffron sauce before being baked. It is one of my favorite party dishes, and I usually serve it as the Iranians do, with Polow, the plain Iranian rice speckled with saffron. Sometimes, I use individual fish, but the wow factor is lost with small fish, so I always try to source a beautiful large fish as indicated below. Let the fish come to room temperature before baking it so that you can time it to cook perfectly.
SERVES 4 TO 6
Good pinch of saffron threads
1 large (4½ pounds/2 kg) white-fleshed fish—cod, sea bass, or hamour (reef cod)—scaled, gutted, and cleaned, but head and tail left on
Sea salt
7 tablespoons (100 g) unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
½ cup (75 g) dried apricots, soaked for 1 hour in boiling water
½ cup (75 g) prunes, soaked for 1 hour in boiling water
½ cup (75 g) golden raisins, soaked for 1 hour in boiling water
½ cup (75 g) walnuts, finely chopped
1½ tablespoons pomegranate molasses
Finely ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
Plain Iranian Rice, for serving
1. Put the saffron to steep in 2 tablespoons water.
2. Pat the fish dry inside and out with paper towels and rub the inside with a little salt. With a little butter, grease a baking dish large enough to hold the fish comfortably. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
3. Drain the dried fruit. Very finely chop the apricots and prunes. Combine all the fruit in a large mixing bowl with the walnuts and pomegranate molasses and season with a little salt and pepper, just enough to offset the sweetness of the fruit. Mix well.
4. Stuff the fish with the fruit/nut mixture. Flap the sides of the fish over the stuffing and place in the greased baking dish.
5. Melt the 7 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan and stir in the lemon juice and saffron water. Pour over the fish and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, basting from time to time, until the fish just barely flakes—you don’t want to overcook the fish otherwise it will become rubbery. Let sit for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a serving platter. Pour the sauce all over. Serve hot with the rice.