Libyan-Style Fish in Spicy Tomato and Pepper Sauce
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen.
Thick white fish fillets gently simmered in a fragrant, spicy sauce of tomato, red pepper, garlic and warm spices, finished with lemon and fresh herbs. Serve from the pan with crusty bread for mopping.
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Method
- 1
Salt the fish. Sprinkle the salt over the fillets and leave them on a plate while you make the sauce. Salting ahead gives the seasoning time to penetrate and firms the surface slightly, so the fish holds together better as it simmers.
- 2
Soften the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in the pan over medium heat and add the onion, red pepper and chilli. Cook for 6-8 minutes until soft and sweet. Softening them fully at this stage gives the sauce a smooth, mellow base.
- 3
Toast the spices. Stir in the garlic, tomato purée, paprika, cumin, ground coriander, cayenne and pepper, and cook for 1-2 minutes. The purée should darken to brick red and smell toasty. Frying the purée and spices in oil before any water goes in deepens and rounds out their flavour.
- 4
Simmer the sauce. Pour in the water, add the salt and scrape up any bits stuck to the pan. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 15 minutes until thickened. This gives the flavours time to meld before the fish goes in.
- 5
Poach the fish. Nestle the fillets into the sauce, spoon some over the tops and scatter the cherry tomatoes around. Cover and simmer very gently for 8-10 minutes, until the fish is opaque, flakes when prodded with a knife and reads at least 63°C in the thickest part. Low heat keeps the flesh moist and in whole pieces.
- 6
Finish and serve. Drizzle over the lemon juice and scatter with the herbs. Serve straight from the pan with the bread to soak up the sauce.
Storage
Cool within 2 hours, refrigerate and eat within 2 days. Reheat gently in a covered pan until piping hot (74°C).
Equipment
- large deep frying pan or sauté pan (30 cm) with lid
- wooden spoon
- spoon for basting
- instant-read probe thermometer
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 399 kcal |
| Protein | 32.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 39.5 g |
| of which sugars | 8.7 g |
| of which free sugars | 2.4 g |
| Fat | 12.8 g |
| of which saturates | 1.9 g |
| Fibre | 4.7 g |
| Salt | 2.32 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
8.1 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
