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Samak mofa
Chilli-rubbed roast fish
Samak mofa (سمك موفا): Hadhrami fish rubbed with chilli paste and roasted hot, the home-oven way
In Mukalla in Hadhramaut and along the Tihama coast of Yemen, samak mofa is slapped against the hot clay wall of a tannour oven, the same one used for bread, so the fish chars on the outside and steams in its own juices within. It is rubbed with a red paste of chilli, garlic, cumin and turmeric and eaten with hot flatbread, a squeeze of lime and a bowl of sahawiq chilli sauce. At home a very hot oven with the grill on gives the same blistered finish. The common mistake is using thin fillets, which dry out before they char. Chef's tip: choose a thick whole fish or thick steaks, and slash deep so the paste reaches the bone.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ⅝ lb whole firm fishsuch as kingfish, sea bream or snapper, cleaned and scaled; or 4 thick steaks
- 4 dried red chilliessoaked in hot water 15 minutes
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 limes1 juiced, 1 in wedges
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
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What you'll need
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Blend the drained 4 dried red chillies, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 6 garlic cloves, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground turmeric, the juice of one of the 2 limes, 1 ½ tsp salt and 3 tbsp vegetable oil into a thick paste.
Step 2: Pat 2 ⅝ lb whole firm fish dry and cut deep slashes down to the bone on both sides. Rub the paste into the slashes, the cavity and all over. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 3: Heat the oven to its highest setting, 475°F, with a heavy tray inside, for at least 15 minutes.
15 minStep 4: Lay the fish on oiled foil on the hot tray and roast until the skin is blistered and the flesh at the thickest part is opaque right to the bone and flakes easily, 20–25 minutes for a whole fish, 12–15 for steaks.
22 minStep 5: Switch to the grill for the last 3 minutes to char the top. Serve with the lime wedges and flatbread.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does samak mofa take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 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 red chilli powder?
- Cayenne, half the amount (hotter).
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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