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Samkeh harra
سمكة حرة (samkeh harra): Tripoli-style baked fish under a spicy tahini, lemon, chilli and coriander sauce
Samkeh harra, 'hot fish', is the pride of Tripoli and the fishing towns of northern Lebanon, where it is made with a whole sea bream or sea bass on Fridays and for summer lunches by the sea. The fish is baked, then covered with a fiery sauce of tahini, lemon, garlic, chilli and lots of coriander and returned to the oven until bubbling. Walnuts on top are a Tripoli touch. It is eaten warm or at room temperature with bread and a green salad. Chef's tip: loosen the tahini with lemon juice first, then water; it will seize and turn thick before it turns smooth, so keep whisking.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
For the sauce
To finish
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Lay 4 white fish fillets (sea bass, sea bream or cod) skin-side down in an oiled baking dish, rub with 1 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground cumin.
Step 2: Bake for 10–12 minutes for fillets (20–25 minutes for a whole fish) until the flesh has just turned opaque. It will finish cooking under the sauce.
12 minStep 3: Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Cook 1 onion for 6 minutes until soft and golden, then add 4 cloves garlic and 2 red chillies for 1 minute. Stir in 1 bunch fresh coriander until just wilted and take off the heat.
8 minStep 4: Whisk 4 oz tahini with the juice from 2 lemons until it thickens, then whisk in ½ cup cold water a little at a time until it's like thick pouring cream. Stir in the onion mixture and ½ tsp salt and taste: it should be sharp, nutty and hot.
Step 5: Spoon the sauce over the fish to cover it completely. A common mistake is making the sauce too thick: it then splits and turns oily in the oven, so loosen it with a little more water if needed.
Step 6: Scatter with 1 oz walnuts and 2 tbsp pine nuts and bake for 10–12 minutes until the sauce is bubbling at the edges and the fish flakes easily with a fork, opaque all the way through.
12 minStep 7: Rest for 5 minutes and serve warm, or at room temperature, with bread and salad.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does samkeh harra take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 35 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 ground cumin?
- Cumin seeds, toasted and ground.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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