Hout Benoua

Almond-crusted Fish with Prunes

Normally this recipe uses whole fish stuffed with prunes, coated with a ground almond mixture and baked. Fish pieces pan-fried works just as well providing care is taken that the crust does not burn.

SERVES 4

4 × 200 g (7 oz) firm white fish fillets, such as Blue Eye, snapper, hake or sea bass

24 pitted prunes

24 blanched almonds, lightly toasted

30 g (1 oz) butter

2 brown onions, sliced

¾ teaspoon ground ginger

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

⅛ teaspoon ground saffron threads

1½ teaspoons caster (superfine) sugar

3 teaspoons lemon juice

3 teaspoons orange flower water

1 egg

100 g (4 oz/1 cup) ground almonds

4 tablespoons smen or ghee

lemon wedges, to serve

Choose centre-cut fish fillets no more than 3 cm (1¼ in) thick at the thickest part. Remove the skin (if present) and season lightly with salt. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use. Stuff each prune with a whole toasted almond and set aside.

Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the onion. Cook for 10 minutes over low heat, stirring often, until the onion is soft and golden. Add ½ teaspoon each of the ground ginger and cinnamon, a pinch of salt and the black pepper. Stir for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Pour in 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) water and stir in the saffron. Cover and simmer gently for 5 minutes, then gently stir in the stuffed prunes, sugar, lemon juice and orange flower water and stir gently. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the prunes are plump.

Meanwhile, beat the egg in a shallow dish with ¼ teaspoon each of ground ginger, cinnamon and salt. Spread the ground almonds in a flat dish.

Dip the fish into the beaten egg, drain briefly, and coat on all sides with the ground almonds. Place on a tray lined with baking paper.

Melt the smen in a large non-stick frying pan over medium–high heat (the depth of the smen should be about 5 mm/¼ in). Add the coated fish, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes, then turn and cook for another 2 minutes, or until the fish is golden and just cooked through. Do not allow the almond coating to burn. If you have to remove the fish before it is cooked through, place it on top of the prune mixture, cover and simmer gently for 2–3 minutes, taking care that the coating does not become too moist on top. Serve the fish immediately with the onion and prune sauce, with lemon wedges to squeeze over the fish.