A whole side of white fish baked under a red pepper, chilli and tahini sauce, with walnuts and coriander. Sharp, rich and on the table in 45 minutes.
Prep
20 mins
Cook
30 mins
Servings
4
Per serving
£3.00
Difficulty
easy
This Tripoli dish is usually made with a whole fish, but a thick fillet works just as well and is far less fiddly. The sauce is what carries it: tahini loosened with lemon and stock, sharpened with chilli, and made savoury with a great deal of garlic and coriander.
Rub the fish with 1 tbsp of the olive oil, 0.5 tsp of the salt and the juice of half a lemon. Leave at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the onion and diced red peppers for 12 minutes until soft and sweet.
Add the garlic and chopped chillies and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the cumin, ground coriander and 0.5 tsp salt.
Add three-quarters of the fresh coriander and cook for 1 minute until wilted. Take off the heat.
In a bowl, whisk the tahini with the remaining lemon juice and the last of the salt. It will seize into a thick paste, which is normal.
Do not panic when the tahini stiffens. Adding water slowly from here is what turns it back into a smooth sauce.
Whisk in cold water a tablespoon at a time, up to about 120ml, until it becomes a pourable cream the thickness of double cream.
Heat the oven to 190C fan. Sit the fish in an oiled baking dish, spread the pepper mixture over and around it, then pour the tahini sauce over the top.
Scatter with the chopped walnuts and bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until the fish flakes at the thickest point and the sauce has set and browned at the edges.
Finish with the remaining coriander and the last tablespoon of olive oil. Serve with rice or plain boiled potatoes.