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Fried mahi sefid with bitter orange
Mahi sefid-e sorkh-shodeh (ماهی سفید سرخشده): Caspian white fish in a turmeric flour crust
Along the Caspian shore from Bandar Anzali to Babolsar, the silvery kutum (mahi sefid) arrives in late winter, and families fry thick steaks of it for weekday lunches and for the Nowruz table. The coating is nothing more than flour, turmeric, salt and pepper, so the sweet, firm flesh does the talking; it comes to the table with wedges of bitter orange (narenj), rice and a plate of fresh herbs. Any firm white fish with skin works if you can't find kutum: sea bass, hake or cod steaks. A common mistake is crowding the pan, which drops the oil temperature and leaves the crust pale and greasy. Chef's tip: dry the fish properly and flour it only at the last moment, so the turmeric crust fries to a crisp golden shell instead of turning pasty.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 1 ¾ lb kutum or other firm white fish steaks, skin onabout 2.5 cm thick, scaled
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 ⅛ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ cup sunflower oilfor shallow frying
To serve
- 2 bitter orangeshalved; or 1 orange and 1 lemon
- 1 bunch fresh herbs (mint, basil, tarragon, spring onion) (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rinse the 1 ¾ lb kutum or other firm white fish steaks, skin on, pat it very dry with kitchen paper and season both sides with half the ¾ tsp salt. Leave for 10 minutes while you mix the coating.
10 minStep 2: Mix the 2 ⅛ oz plain flour, 1 tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp ground black pepper and the rest of the ¾ tsp salt on a plate. It should be an even bright yellow.
1 minStep 3: Heat the ½ cup sunflower oil in a wide frying pan over a medium-high heat until a pinch of flour sizzles at once. Pat the fish dry again and press each piece into the flour, shaking off the excess.
3 minStep 4: Fry the fish in batches, without crowding, for 4–5 minutes until the underside is deep golden and crisp. Turn carefully with a fish slice.
5 minStep 5: Fry the second side for 4–5 minutes. The fish is done when the flesh is opaque right to the bone and flakes easily when you press it with a fork.
5 minStep 6: Drain on kitchen paper for a minute and serve hot with the 2 bitter oranges halves to squeeze over and the 1 bunch fresh herbs (mint, basil, tarragon, spring onion) on the side.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fried mahi sefid with bitter orange take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
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