Samkeh harra: grilled fish with spicy harra sauce
Samkeh harra means spicy fish in Arabic. It is a dish with Lebanese roots where grilled or fried fish is generously topped with a spicy tomato and red pepper sauce. If you like fish, you will definitely want to try samkeh harra.
Is samkeh harra spicy?
I learned to make samkeh harra during a trip to Oman and it became one of my favorite recipes for preparing fish. The sauce is full of flavor and not overly spicy. You can adjust the amount of chili pepper if you don't like heat. Even without the chili pepper, harra is a wonderfully aromatic sauce that can be served with roasted vegetables.
Best fish for samkeh harra
The best fish for samkeh harra are sea bass, gilthead bream, swordfish, monkfish or catfish. You can also use more delicate fish such as sole, turbot or brill, but they will lose their delicate flavor in the spicy sauce.
Recipe: samkeh harra
This recipe makes samkeh harra for 4 people. You start by making a marinade for the fish. Then make the sauce. It is important to work step by step and let the vegetables simmer on a medium heat.
Ingredients:
For the fish:
- 600 g sea bass fillet
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the harra sauce:
- 2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
- ½ red onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 green chili
- 2 red bell peppers
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground Aleppo or cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Pepper and salt to taste
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts or chopped almonds
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Step 1: marinate the fish
Cut the fish into individual portions and season with salt, pepper and cumin. Rub the skinless side with lemon juice and the whole fish with oil. Set aside until the sauce is ready.
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Step 2: prepare the vegetables
Finely chop the red onion, garlic and chili pepper. Peel the red peppers, remove the seeds and dice the flesh. Chop the tomatoes.
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Step 3: prepare the sauce
Heat the ghee or oil in a bowl and add the onion and garlic along with a pinch of salt. The salt causes the onion to release moisture. Stir frequently until the onion is completely cooked. Add the chili pepper, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, and the bell pepper. Season to taste again with a pinch of salt. Stir frequently until the bell pepper is fully cooked. Stir the tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin, ground coriander, Aleppo pepper and cinnamon into the stewed bell pepper. When the tomatoes are cooked and the sauce is soft in texture, stir in the butter. Check the seasoning and add the lemon juice and remaining chopped coriander to the sauce. Set the sauce aside.
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Step 4: grill the fish
Heat a grill or barbecue and grill the fish fillets on the skin. Turn and continue grilling until the fish is cooked through.
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Step 5: serve
Place a tablespoon of the harra sauce on each plate and arrange the fish fillets on top. Pour the rest of the sauce over the fish and garnish with toasted pine nuts or almonds and a slice of lemon. Serve the samkeh harra with steamed rice and a fresh salad.
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