Hoot

I love fish. And I love Moroccan food. I have a favorite way to prepare fish, and it appears to be common to several Middle Eastern/Mediterranean countries. I first tried the recipe while in college. It was in my cookbook called "Sundays at the Moosewood Restaurant" in the section on Armenia and the Middle East and they called it "Baked Fish Nicosia". (Nicosia is the capital of Cyprus.) The next time I ran into this dish was at the restaurant of a fabulous old stone hotel in the Old City of Jerusalem. The fish was perfect. My most recent encounter with this taste was Saturday night. I made a recipe out of Kitty Morse's Moroccan cookbook "Cooking at the Kasbah" called "Tagine bil Hoot" (tagine with fish). I've made it before and marked it as a favorite, but this last time I was struck by how similar it is to Baked Fish Nicosia. It's all fabulous, and I highly recommend these two recipes for the seafood lover in you. The tastes are bold and memorable.

*Note: any firm-fleshed white fish can be used, like mahimahi, red snapper, sea bass, orange roughy, hake, pollock, haddock, or cod.

Baked Fish Nicosia

Fish:
2 lbs firm white fish fillets
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
juice of 2 lemons (1/4 cup)
salt and pepper to taste
lemon wedges or slices
Topping:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, pressed
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
salt to taste
3 cups cubed whole wheat bread
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet, add garlic and let it sizzle for a minute. Add cayenne, coriander, cumin, and salt. Stir for a minute more, but do not let it burn. Add bread crumbs and stir so they are blended with the spices and coated with oil. Toast until golden, then add basil, toss for a minute and remove from heat. (Yes, you just made croutons.)

Heat oven to 350º. Rinse fish and pat dry. Place, skin down, in an oiled 9x13 baking dish. Spread chopped tomatoes over fish, sprinkle with garlic, parsley, and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper, then cover with the prepared bread crumb topping. Bake, uncovered for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Garnish with lemon wedges or slices. Serves 6.



Tagine bil Hoot

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 Tbs minced fresh cilantro
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
8 threads of saffron (she calls for them to be toasted and crushed, but I skip that step)
1 tsp ground ginger
1 lemon
1 1/2 lbs white fish fillets, cut into 4-5 pieces
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coasely chopped (I use a can of diced tomatoes)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbs preserved lemon pulp (optional if you don't know where to find it or how to make it)
12 green or black olives, pitted (I consider this optional, since I don't like olives)
fresh parsley or cilantro for garnish

In a large bowl, mix the first six ingredients. Add the juice of half the lemon. Slice the other half and set aside. Coat the fish with this mixture and let marinade for an hour or two, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a little saucepan, combine the tomatoes, garlic and cumin. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it begins to thicken a little- 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, set aside.

Place the carrots in a single layer on the bottom of a Dutch oven, enameled casserole, or tagine. Cover with onion slices. Spoon the tomato sauce over the onions. Cover and cook till carrots are tender, 15-20 minutes. Set fish on top of the vegetables. Spread a little preserved lemon pulp over each fish piece and cover with a lemon slice. Add the fish marinade. Surround the fish with olives (if using). Cover the pan again and cook over medium heat until the fish is flaky- 10 to 12 minutes. Spoon some of the sauce over the fish and garnish with parsley or cilantro. Serve with a crusty artisian bread. Serves 4-5. By the way, this recipe is pictured on the cover of the cookbook.