Lebanese Sayadiyah (fish & rice)

Name: Lebanese Sayadiyah (fish & rice)
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Arab
Ingredients: For the fish:; 1 kg firm white fish (grouper, sea bass or similar) as steaks or skin-on pieces, plus the fish head and bones for the stock if available; 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp salt and juice of ½ lemon; oil for frying; For the onions and rice:; 4 large onions (about 800 g), thinly sliced; ½ cup (125 ml) oil; 2 cups (400 g) basmati or medium-grain rice, rinsed; 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp cinnamon and ½ tsp caraway; 1½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper; 4 cups hot fish stock (from the fish head and bones) or water; For the garnish:; ¼ cup pine nuts and ¼ cup blanched almonds, toasted in oil; Optional sauce: ½ cup tahini, ⅓ cup lemon juice, 2 garlic cloves, water and salt

Recipe No.: A-30

Arab100 minServes 6

Sayadiyah is a fish and rice dish seasoned with cumin and caramelised onions; the name comes from 'sayyad', fisherman. It is said to have started as a fisherman's meal on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, Syria, Palestine and Lebanon, and is now a staple of coastal cities. An 1890 cookbook by the Lebanese author Khalil al-Khuri lists three sayadiyah recipes, two with fish and one with octopus. The colour of the sauce runs from light brown to nearly black depending on how far the onions are caramelised.

Ingredients for Lebanese Sayadiyah

For the fish
1 kgfirm white fish (grouper, sea bass or similar) as steaks or skin-on pieces, plus the fish head and bones for the stock if available
1 tspground cumin, 1 tsp salt and juice of ½ lemon
oil for frying
For the onions and rice
4large onions (about 800 g), thinly sliced
½ cup(125 ml) oil
2 cups(400 g) basmati or medium-grain rice, rinsed
2 tspground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp cinnamon and ½ tsp caraway
1½ tspsalt and ½ tsp black pepper
4 cupshot fish stock (from the fish head and bones) or water
For the garnish
¼ cuppine nuts and ¼ cup blanched almonds, toasted in oil
Optional sauce: ½ cup tahini, ⅓ cup lemon juice, 2 garlic cloves, water and salt

Method

For the stock: put the fish head and bones in a pot with 5 cups water, a small onion, salt and a cinnamon stick, simmer 25 minutes and strain. (If no bones, use water or fish stock.)
Season the fish with the cumin, salt and lemon, leave 20 minutes, then fry in hot oil 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden, and set aside.
Cook the onions in the oil over medium heat for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring, until very dark brown (caramel colour). Set aside a third for garnish.
Add the rice, spices, salt and pepper to the onions in the pot and stir 2 minutes.
Add the hot stock (about 4 cups), bring to a boil, then cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
Place the fried fish on top of the rice, cover again and cook 8 minutes over very low heat, then turn off the heat and rest 10 minutes.
For the sauce: whisk the tahini with the lemon, garlic, a little water and salt until smooth and pourable.
Spread the rice on a large platter, arrange the fish on top, garnish with the browned onions, pine nuts and almonds, and serve with the tahini sauce and lemon.

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