This dish comes from the fishing village of Safi, which has one of the best waves in Morocco. It is a recipe adapted from Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco by Paula Wolfert, who’s considered an authority on Moroccan cuisine. I’ve made it many times and it never fails to satisfy. Serve with salad, couscous, and Killer Seven-Vegetable Tagine (see page 111).
SERVES 6
1½ cups chopped almonds
1½ cups powdered sugar
⅓ cup water
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (¾ stick), softened and divided
1 tablespoon orange flower water (available in most markets)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups minced onions
6 striped sea bass fillets
In a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast almonds, stirring continuously until golden. Transfer to paper towels to cool. Once cooled, place almonds, sugar, water, oil, 3 tablespoons butter, orange flower water, and cinnamon into a blender, and pulverize into a smooth paste.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a large baking dish with butter, then spoon minced onions into dish with a little water to form a bed for fish. Place fish fillets over onion bed, and use a spatula to spread almond paste over fish. Melt remaining butter and drizzle over fish.
Roast until fish is cooked through and paste is just crusty and beginning to fall into onion sauce, about 35 minutes.
