Lebanese Spicy Fish with Tahini Sauce (Samke Harra)

[FoodMan]

Lebanese Spicy Fish with Tahini Sauce (Samke Harra)

Serves 4 as Main Dish.

This is an iconic Lebanese dish, prepared for large family gatherings (or small ones) and for special occasions, like Sunday lunch.

The fish can be any white fleshed non-oily fish. I like to use red snapper or sea bass. The dish should be pretty spicy as the name indicates but it will still be amazing even if mild, so adjust that accordingly.

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Stuffing:

• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
  
• 1 c walnuts
  
• 3 chilies
  
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  
• salt and pepper
  

Sauce:

• 1 c tahini
  
• 2 large garlic cloves, mashed
  
• 1-1/2 c water
  
• juice of 3-5 lemons
  
• 1 tsp cumin
  
• 1 3lb whole fish, cleaned (or 2 smaller ones)
  
• olive oil for drizzling
  
• 1/4 c chopped cilantro
  

Heat your oven to 375F and place a rack in the middle of the oven.

Make the stuffing. Put all ingredients in a food processor and chop coarsely, not to a paste.

Make the sauce. Mix all ingredients to a smooth consistency. It should be liquidy enough to pour, sort of like heavy cream. Taste and correct seasoning and add lemon juice if required. It should be tangy and garlicky. Warm the sauce in a microwave or in a small pot just until heated through. Keep warm.

Make three diagonal slashes in the fish on each side, season with salt and pepper inside and out. Put the fish in an oiled baking dish and stuff the cavity with the walnut mixture. Also put as much stuffing as possible in the slashes. Sprinkle the rest of the stuffing all over the dish and on top the fish. Drizzle the fish with some olive oil and place in the oven. Bake until still a little underdone, about 25 minutes.

Pour the sauce on top and around the fish reserving about ¾ cup for service. Return the fish to the oven and continue baking until done and the flesh flakes easily, about 10 minutes.

Serve with white rice or pita bread topped with its baking sauce, stuffing and drizzled with the reserved sauce if needed. Garnish with the chopped cilantro.

Keywords: Main Dish, Hot and Spicy, Seafood, Intermediate, Fish, Lebanese

( RG1371 )