This is a delicious way to prepare fish the Mediterranean way, with a bit of spicy harissa, garlic, tomatoes and finished with a creamy, lemony tahini sauce.
Serves: 4-6
Difficulty: easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Diet: Gluten-Free
Ingredients
1.5 lb firm white fish such as halibut or cod, steaks or boneless/skinless filets
Salt & pepper
¼ c extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2-3 T harissa paste
1 t caraway seeds
1 t smoked paprika
2 T tomato paste
½ t sugar
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
½ c chopped cilantro
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
Lemon wedges or preserved lemon for garnish
Tahini Sauce Ingredients
2 oz tahini
2 T lemon juice
2 T water
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
⅛ t salt
Steps
Season the fish liberally with salt & pepper. Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Add garlic and cook 1-2 min. until fragrant and golden brown. Add harissa, caraway, paprika, tomato paste and sugar and continue to cook, stirring, for another minute or two, then add tomatoes and bring to a simmer. When the sauce is hot, taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed. Add the fish to the pan and use a spoon to coat with sauce. Place a tight-fitting lid on the pan, reduce to a low simmer and cook until flesh is opaque and flakes easily, 8-10 minutes or more, depending on thickness.
For the Tahini Sauce: Whisk lemon juice and water into the tahini, followed by the oil and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
When the fish is cooked through, transfer to a serving platter, drizzle with the tahini sauce and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and lemon wedges or diced preserved lemon if desired.
