Sayadeya (Egyptian Spiced Fish with Onion Rice)

Ingredients

• 700 g cod fillet, cut into large pieces
• 4 onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 300 g white rice
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 4 garlic, crushed
• 2 tomato, chopped
• 6 dl fish stock
• 1 lemon, half juiced and half cut into wedges
• 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp chilli flakes

Method

1. 1.

   Marinate the cod — Rub the cod with 1 tsp of the cumin, the ground coriander, half the garlic, the lemon juice, 0.5 tsp salt and the black pepper. Cover and leave in the fridge for 20 minutes while you deal with the onions.

2. 2.

   Caramelise the onions — Heat 4 tbsp of the olive oil in a wide ovenproof pan and cook the sliced onions over medium-low heat for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until they collapse and turn a deep mahogany brown. This colour is what makes the rice golden — do not rush it.

3. 3.

   Build the spiced tomato base — Lift out a third of the onions and set them aside for the top. Stir the turmeric, the remaining cumin, garlic and the chilli flakes into the pan and cook for 1 minute, then add the chopped tomato and press it down until it breaks into a thick paste, about 3 minutes.

4. 4.

   Start the rice in stock — Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, stir it into the onions with the remaining salt, then pour in the hot fish stock. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, until the liquid sits level with the surface of the rice.

5. 5.

   Sear the fish — Meanwhile heat the last tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and sear the marinated fish for a minute on each side, just to set a golden crust. It does not need to cook through here.

6. 6.

   Bake fish over rice — Lay the fish over the rice, scatter the reserved onions on top, cover tightly with a lid or foil and bake at 190°C for 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the fish flakes at the touch of a fork.

7. 7.

   Rest and finish with lemon — Let the pan stand covered for 10 minutes off the heat so the rice finishes steaming, then scatter over the cilantro and serve with the lemon wedges.