Massawa oven fish
Asa bforno (ዓሳ ብፎርኖ): whole Red Sea fish rubbed with berbere and baked in a very hot oven, served with flatbread
Along the waterfront in Massawa, on Eritrea's Red Sea coast, fish restaurants slap whole snapper and grouper with a red berbere paste and lower them into scorching clay ovens, then bring them to the table on a tray with flatbread, lime and a fresh chilli relish. The skin chars and blisters, the spice paste turns smoky, and the flesh stays moist and sweet underneath. Everyone tears off pieces of bread and pulls the fish from the bone with their fingers. A domestic oven turned up as high as it goes gives a very good result. Chef's tip: score the fish deeply down to the bone and push the paste into the cuts, so the flavour reaches the middle and the thickest part cooks as fast as the tail.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 2 whole sea bream or red snapperabout 600 g each, gutted and scaled
- 2 limes1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges
- 1 ½ tsp salt
For the berbere paste
- 3 tbsp berberesee our recipe
- 4 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
For the relish
- 2 tomatoesfinely diced
- ½ red onionfinely diced
- 1 green chillifinely chopped
- 1 pinch salt
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rinse 2 whole sea bream or red snapper inside and out, pat dry and cut 3–4 deep slashes down to the bone on each side.
Step 2: Mix 3 tbsp berbere, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tsp ground cumin, 4 tbsp vegetable oil, the juice of one 1 limes and 1 ½ tsp salt into a thick paste.
Step 3: Rub the paste all over the fish, pushing it into the slashes and the belly. Leave on a plate in the fridge for 20–30 minutes, never on the counter.
25 minStep 4: Meanwhile, heat the oven to its highest setting, 240–475°F, with a large baking tray inside. Mix 2 tomatoes, ½ red onion, 1 green chilli and 1 pinch salt for the relish.
Step 5: Line the hot tray with baking paper, lay the fish on it and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the skin is blistered and charred at the edges and the flesh at the thickest part near the head is opaque and lifts easily from the bone. Undercooking near the backbone is the common mistake, so check there with a knife tip.
22 minStep 6: Serve the fish on the tray with the relish, the rest of 1 limes cut into wedges, and plenty of flatbread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 41 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does massawa oven fish take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of limes?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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