Spicy Tahini Fish (Samkeh Harra)
Samkeh Harra is traditional to the region of Tripoli in Lebanon, and is essentially fish baked and poached in a spicy, silky tahini sauce. It's effortless to make and best eaten with rice to soak up the tahini. White flesh fish is preferred, so I usually rotate between snapper and blue eye cod fillets.
Ingredients 12
1 kg snapper fillets, seasoned with salt and paprika
1⁄4 tsp paprika
salt, to season
For The Sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt, to taste
3 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp Greek yogurt
1 lemon, juiced
1⁄2 bunch coriander, finely chopped
1⁄2 tsp paprika
1⁄4 tsp chilli powder
To Garnish
1⁄2 pomegranate, deseeded
walnuts, to serve
2 tbsp olive oil
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Method 7
Begin by making the tahini sauce for the samkeh harra in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the , salt, , , and and begin to mix using a whisk until the ingredients have been incorporated into a thick paste. Add the followed by 400ml of water and combine into the sauce, then add the and .
Set the mixture aside. Preheat the oven to 180 fan forced.
In a baking dish, deep enough to hold the fish and sauce, season the with salt and and rub the to marinate.
Add the tahini sauce to the baking dish ensuring the is covered to atleast half way. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. The dish is done when the sauce has reduced slightly and the fish is cooked through.
Whilst the fish is baking, add the to a small fry pan and fry the walnuts until golden. Strain from the oil and set aside to cool. Once cooled, crush the walnuts slightly using your fingers, keeping some larger than others for texture and crunch.
Once the fish is ready, allow it to stand for 5-10 minutes before garnishing with fresh seeds and walnuts.
Serve immediately, alongside Lazy cumin rice and Fattoush.
Sunday Kitchen's tips
Because tahini is the star of the show here, aim to source an authentic tahini from a Middle Eastern grocer. When entertaining, you could use a whole side of a larger fish and cook the same way. This fish works wonderfully with a side of Lazy cumin rice.
