Entertaining

Spicy fish with Moroccan flavours and green olives

Name: Stephanie Alexander's spicy Moroccan fish recipe
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 6 x 180-200g thick chunks of firm fish (4-5cm thick), skin on; 500g meaty tomatoes (such as roma); 80.00 ml extra virgin olive oil; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 2 celery stalks, cut into 5mm pieces; 3-4 pieces preserved lemon; 125.00 ml flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped; 125.00 ml coriander leaves, coarsely chopped; 40.00 ml water; 12 pitted green Sicilian-style olives, sliced; Juice of 2 lemons; Pinch of saffron threads; 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 20.00 ml sweet paprika; 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 tsp sea salt

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by delicious. team

delicious. team

Oct 28, 2021

Select fish that is thick and firm. I have used goldband snapper, hapuku and blue-eye trevalla with success. The baking dish should fit all the fish in a single layer. This is an edited extract from Home by Stephanie Alexander.

6 x 180-200g thick chunks of firm fish (4-5cm thick), skin on
500g meaty tomatoes (such as roma)
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, cut into 5mm pieces
3-4 pieces preserved lemon
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup coriander leaves, coarsely chopped
2 tbs water
12 pitted green Sicilian-style olives, sliced

Marinade

Juice of 2 lemons
Pinch of saffron threads
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbs sweet paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt

Method

1.

Mix the marinade ingredients in a large non-reactive bowl. Add the fish and mix to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, better still 3-4 hours.
2.

Overnight is too long as the lemon will start to ‘cook’ the fish.
3.

Cut off one end from each tomato and, using a box grater resting on a plate, grate the tomatoes using the largest holes. You will end up with the skin in your hand and a fine mush of tomato. Discard the skins.
4.

Heat the oil in an enamelled cast-iron shallow casserole that has a lid and will take the fish in a single layer without too much extra space. Cook the onion and celery over medium heat for 10 minutes until very soft. Add tomato and cook, stirring from time to time, for 20 minutes until the mixture looks saucy. Set aside one-third of the tomato mixture.
5.

Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan- forced). Arrange fish on tomato mixture.
6.

Scrape over the marinade. Discard flesh from the preserved lemon, rinse and dry each piece well, then slice finely. Mix herbs in a bowl. Scatter fish with the preserved lemon and two-thirds of the herbs. Spoon on the reserved tomato mixture and drizzle on the water. Tightly cover with foil, then the lid. Bake for 30 minutes.
7.

Remove dish from the oven, lift the foil and check whether the fish is just cooked.
8.

Scatter in the olives. The fish will stay hot in its dish for enough time to cook some green beans or broccoli, if you wish.
9.

Serve fish and juices, scattered with the rest of the herbs. If you have decided to go all out Moroccan and serve couscous, pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water over 1 1/2 cups couscous in a bowl and leave it for 5 minutes, then fork it through and reheat in a colander settled over a bowl of hot water. Or you can reheat the couscous in a pan with additional spices and butter.