Feast

SAMKEH HARRAH MATBOOKHAH

LEBANON

This is a homely Lebanese way of preparing fish that is typical in Sunni coastal communities. Most Arabs tend to overcook both meat and fish, so I have changed the traditional recipe slightly to avoid it. I also use the unorthodox and rather extravagant black cod to prepare this dish, but you can replace it with sea bream or sea bass, which is what Lebanese cooks use.

SERVES 4

2¼ pounds (1 kg) whitefish fillets or steaks

Sea salt

Vegetable oil, for shallow-frying

Unbleached all-purpose flour, for dredging

Finely ground black pepper

½ cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

4 medium onions (1 pound 5 ounces/600 g total), finely chopped

8 cloves garlic, minced to a fine paste

2 bunches cilantro (14 ounces/400 g), most of the bottom stems discarded, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or to taste

1 cup (250 ml) lemon juice, or to taste

1. Pat the fish pieces dry with paper towels and lightly rub with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes to soak up the salt.

2. Set a fine-mesh rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and pour in enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom. Heat over medium heat until the oil is hot (if you drop a piece of bread in the oil, the oil should immediately bubble around it). Put enough flour to dredge the fish in a soup plate or a wide shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip the fish pieces into the flour on both sides to lightly coat them, shaking off any excess flour. Working in batches, put in as many fish pieces as can fit comfortably in the pan, skin side down, and fry for 1 minute on each side to set the coating and seal the fish. In between batches, wipe the pan clean and add more oil. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on the rack to drain any excess oil.

3. Heat the olive oil in a wide, deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring regularly, until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute or so. Add the cilantro, cumin, coriander, and Aleppo pepper and stir for another minute, or until the cilantro is wilted. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Let bubble for 5 minutes.

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and slip the fried fish into the lemony cilantro sauce. Cover and let simmer for 3 to 5 more minutes, or until the fish is done to your liking and the sauce has thickened. Serve warm or at room temperature.