Yakhnit Samak bel Zafaran

1. 1

   Fry the onions in 2 tablespoons of the oil till golden.

2. 2

   Add the garlic, and just as it begins to color, add the lemon juice, the saffron, a little salt, and about 1 cup water.

3. 3

   Simmer for 1015 minutes.

4. 4

   Fry the fish pieces very briefly in a skillet filmed with oil over high heat, turning them over once, until lightly colored but still uncooked inside.

5. 5

   Lift them out, drain on paper towels, and put them in the pan with the onion sauce.

6. 6

   Simmer, covered, over very low heat, so that the liquid barely trembles, until the fish is doneabout 3 to 5 minutes for fillets, up to 10 minutes for steaks.

7. 7

   For samak bi loomi, a version from the Gulf States, use 3 tablespoons ground dried limes (see page 44) instead of lemon, turmeric instead of saffron, plus 1 teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.

No additional tips available.