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This make a lot, so next time I'm going to cut it in half. I also made a tiny bit of the sauce extra the next day as it seemed a tiny bit dry for my tastes. Just heat it up and add a little sauce at a time so not to make it soupy. You just want to moisten.

The photo is not mine. I scanned it out of a cookbook.

this recipe came from Middle Eastern Home Cooking by; Tess Mallos

Spiced Shrimp and Rice
Machbous (gulf states)

Serves 4-5
cooking time: 40 minutes

ingredients:

• 2-3 Tbsp. ghee or vegetable oil
  
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  
• 2 lb raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
  
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  
• 2 tsp baharat (see recipe here)
  
• 2 tsp turmeric
  
• 1 1/2 cups (9 oz canned) chopped, peeled tomatoes
  
• 2 tsp salt
  
• freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh, flat leaf parsley
  
• 1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander)
  
• 2 1.2 cups water
  
• 2 cups basmati rice
  

in a large pot over a high heat, heat 1 Tbsp of the ghee.
add garlic and shrimp and cook, stirring frequently until shrimp turn pink.
Remove shrimp to a plate and set aside.

Add remaining ghee to the pot and heat over medium-low heat.
Add onion and cook until translucent and lightly browned, about 10 mins.
Stir in Baharat and turmeric and cook for 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, salt, pepper to taste, parsley and cilantro.
Bring to a boil and add water.
Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Place rice in a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until water runs clear (a trick to find if it's clear is use a dark bowl under the running water to catch it and keep watch until it's clear).
Stir into the sauce and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and cover and cook for 18 minutes.

Stir the rice, then put the shrimp on top of rice and gently stir through rice.
Cover pot and simmer over very low heat for 3 more minutes

Stir again then leave covered, off the heat for another 5 minutes.

Serve with pita bread, pickles and a salad


  shrimp and rice.jpg (Size: 115.63 KB / Downloads: 0) ]]>

This make a lot, so next time I'm going to cut it in half. I also made a tiny bit of the sauce extra the next day as it seemed a tiny bit dry for my tastes. Just heat it up and add a little sauce at a time so not to make it soupy. You just want to moisten.

The photo is not mine. I scanned it out of a cookbook.

this recipe came from Middle Eastern Home Cooking by; Tess Mallos

Spiced Shrimp and Rice
Machbous (gulf states)

Serves 4-5
cooking time: 40 minutes

ingredients:

• 2-3 Tbsp. ghee or vegetable oil
  
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  
• 2 lb raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
  
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  
• 2 tsp baharat (see recipe here)
  
• 2 tsp turmeric
  
• 1 1/2 cups (9 oz canned) chopped, peeled tomatoes
  
• 2 tsp salt
  
• freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh, flat leaf parsley
  
• 1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander)
  
• 2 1.2 cups water
  
• 2 cups basmati rice
  

in a large pot over a high heat, heat 1 Tbsp of the ghee.
add garlic and shrimp and cook, stirring frequently until shrimp turn pink.
Remove shrimp to a plate and set aside.

Add remaining ghee to the pot and heat over medium-low heat.
Add onion and cook until translucent and lightly browned, about 10 mins.
Stir in Baharat and turmeric and cook for 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, salt, pepper to taste, parsley and cilantro.
Bring to a boil and add water.
Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Place rice in a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until water runs clear (a trick to find if it's clear is use a dark bowl under the running water to catch it and keep watch until it's clear).
Stir into the sauce and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and cover and cook for 18 minutes.

Stir the rice, then put the shrimp on top of rice and gently stir through rice.
Cover pot and simmer over very low heat for 3 more minutes

Stir again then leave covered, off the heat for another 5 minutes.

Serve with pita bread, pickles and a salad


  shrimp and rice.jpg (Size: 115.63 KB / Downloads: 0) ]]> https://twitchinkitchen.com/thread-350.html Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:41:32 -0500 https://twitchinkitchen.com/thread-350.html

This recipe I got from my book, The New Book of Middle Eastern Food; by Claudia Rodan.

I was looking for something different to make and had a hankering for fish. I know I like Tahina and I like fish and I like onions so this had to be good. I was right! This is HEAVEN! It's easy to make and you can even use this as an elegant / gourmet entrée at dinner parties.

From the book:
This is very popular in Syria and Lebanon and can be served cold with salads such as tabbouleh or hot with rice.
serves 6

Tajen Samak bi Tahina
Fish Baked in Tahina Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fish fillets, skinned and cut into 6 pieces (I used cod)
  
• Salt
  
• 2 large onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
  
• 2 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1 cup tahina
  
• 1/2 - 2/3 cup lemon juice or to taste
  
• 1 cup water, or more as required
  
• 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
  
• 2 or 3 lemons, cut in wedges to serve with
  

Season the fish with salt.

In a large skillet sweat the onions in 2 -3 tablespoons oil with the lid on over a very low heat, stirring occasionally until soft and just beginning to color. Remove from heat.

In a bowl, beat with a small whisk the tahina and lemon juice until smooth. Don't be alarmed if it looks like it 'curdles' when you first add the lemon juice! Just keep mixing..... it will smooth out. Add small amounts of water until you get a nice loose creamy consistency. You want this tahina sauce to be a bit on the loose and runny side for baking. Add salt to taste.
Note: I omitted the salt in the tahina sauce as the fish already had salt on it.

In a baking dish, spread the onions out on the bottom of the dish, lay the fish on top and pour the sauce all over the fish.

Bake in a pre heated 400º F oven for 20 - 30 minutes or until the fish flakes easily. Serve sprinkled with the chopped parsley.

Variation:
Some fry the fish very briefly first, in shallow oil over high heat so that it is lightly browned but not yet cooked inside, then bake it with the onions and the sauce for a further 10 minutes.

I will take a photo next time I make this dish and insert it here. I made the sauce a little too thick and I think I would like to add more onions too.
We had ours with steamed broccoli and no rice and a garden salad. We also agreed that no extra lemon was needed to be squeezed onto the fish to eat it. The tahina sauce was lemony enough!

click to enlarge:

  Fish baked in Tahini sauce.JPG (Size: 67.97 KB / Downloads: 1) ]]>

This recipe I got from my book, The New Book of Middle Eastern Food; by Claudia Rodan.

I was looking for something different to make and had a hankering for fish. I know I like Tahina and I like fish and I like onions so this had to be good. I was right! This is HEAVEN! It's easy to make and you can even use this as an elegant / gourmet entrée at dinner parties.

From the book:
This is very popular in Syria and Lebanon and can be served cold with salads such as tabbouleh or hot with rice.
serves 6

Tajen Samak bi Tahina
Fish Baked in Tahina Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fish fillets, skinned and cut into 6 pieces (I used cod)
  
• Salt
  
• 2 large onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
  
• 2 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1 cup tahina
  
• 1/2 - 2/3 cup lemon juice or to taste
  
• 1 cup water, or more as required
  
• 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
  
• 2 or 3 lemons, cut in wedges to serve with
  

Season the fish with salt.

In a large skillet sweat the onions in 2 -3 tablespoons oil with the lid on over a very low heat, stirring occasionally until soft and just beginning to color. Remove from heat.

In a bowl, beat with a small whisk the tahina and lemon juice until smooth. Don't be alarmed if it looks like it 'curdles' when you first add the lemon juice! Just keep mixing..... it will smooth out. Add small amounts of water until you get a nice loose creamy consistency. You want this tahina sauce to be a bit on the loose and runny side for baking. Add salt to taste.
Note: I omitted the salt in the tahina sauce as the fish already had salt on it.

In a baking dish, spread the onions out on the bottom of the dish, lay the fish on top and pour the sauce all over the fish.

Bake in a pre heated 400º F oven for 20 - 30 minutes or until the fish flakes easily. Serve sprinkled with the chopped parsley.

Variation:
Some fry the fish very briefly first, in shallow oil over high heat so that it is lightly browned but not yet cooked inside, then bake it with the onions and the sauce for a further 10 minutes.

I will take a photo next time I make this dish and insert it here. I made the sauce a little too thick and I think I would like to add more onions too.
We had ours with steamed broccoli and no rice and a garden salad. We also agreed that no extra lemon was needed to be squeezed onto the fish to eat it. The tahina sauce was lemony enough!

click to enlarge:

  Fish baked in Tahini sauce.JPG (Size: 67.97 KB / Downloads: 1) ]]> https://twitchinkitchen.com/thread-282.html Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:24:03 -0400 https://twitchinkitchen.com/thread-282.html

A favorite Egyptian flavoring is a mix of fried garlic and coriander. This dish is a specialty of Alexandria, where it is usually baked in a clay dish called a tagen (it is deeper than Moroccan tagines and with straight sides). You can make it with any white fish, steaks or fillets. Serve it with plain rice or rice with vermicelli.

Tagen Samak bel Cozbara
Fish Stew with Tomatoes and Coriander Seed

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds fish - fillets or steaks
3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
6 or 7 cloves garlic, crushed
1 - 2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 - 2 tsp sugar

In a large skillet, fry the fish briefly in the oil until lightly browned but still uncooked in the centers, turnit it over once and sprinkling with salt and pepper. Then lift it out and drain on paper.

Fry the garlic and the coriander together in the same oil ove rlow heat for moments only, stirring until the aroma rises. Add the tomatoes, stir in the sugar and a little salt and pepper, and cook for 15 minutes. Return the fish to the pan and cook for another 2 - 5 minutes or until done to your liking.

Serves 4

Variation:
For cozbareyet al samak cut the fish into chunks and fry brifely in oil. Lift out when it is done and drain on paper. In a small pan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil with 5 or 6 crushed garlic cloves and 1 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander until the garlic begins to color. Pour over the fish.]]>

A favorite Egyptian flavoring is a mix of fried garlic and coriander. This dish is a specialty of Alexandria, where it is usually baked in a clay dish called a tagen (it is deeper than Moroccan tagines and with straight sides). You can make it with any white fish, steaks or fillets. Serve it with plain rice or rice with vermicelli.

Tagen Samak bel Cozbara
Fish Stew with Tomatoes and Coriander Seed

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds fish - fillets or steaks
3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
6 or 7 cloves garlic, crushed
1 - 2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 - 2 tsp sugar

In a large skillet, fry the fish briefly in the oil until lightly browned but still uncooked in the centers, turnit it over once and sprinkling with salt and pepper. Then lift it out and drain on paper.

Fry the garlic and the coriander together in the same oil ove rlow heat for moments only, stirring until the aroma rises. Add the tomatoes, stir in the sugar and a little salt and pepper, and cook for 15 minutes. Return the fish to the pan and cook for another 2 - 5 minutes or until done to your liking.

Serves 4

Variation:
For cozbareyet al samak cut the fish into chunks and fry brifely in oil. Lift out when it is done and drain on paper. In a small pan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil with 5 or 6 crushed garlic cloves and 1 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander until the garlic begins to color. Pour over the fish.]]> https://twitchinkitchen.com/thread-281.html Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:14:22 -0400 https://twitchinkitchen.com/thread-281.html

An old Arab dish, popular in Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. It is very lemony, and sometimes saffron is replaced by using turmeric. All kinds of fish can be used. Server with plain rice, or rice with vermicelli. *(we used to call it rice and worms as kids!)

Yahknit Samak bel Zafaran
Fish Stew with Onions and Saffron

Ingredients:

2 onions, cut in half and sliced
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 - 4 cloves garlic, crushed
Juice of 2 - 3 lemons
1/4 tsp crushed saffron threads or powdered saffron (*saffron is hard to find and VERY expensive, you can replace this with turmeric if you can't use saffron)
Salt and white pepper
2 pounds skinned fish fillets or fish steaks of any sort - your choice of fish!

Fry the onions in 2 Tbsp of the oil until golden. Add the garlic, and just as it begins to color, add the lemon juice, saffron, a little salt and about 1 cup water. Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes.

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

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

Serves 4 - 6

Variation:
For samak bi loomi, a version from the Gulf States, use 3 Tbsp ground dried limes instead of lemon, turmeric instead of saffron plus 1 tsp crushed cardamom seeds.]]>

An old Arab dish, popular in Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. It is very lemony, and sometimes saffron is replaced by using turmeric. All kinds of fish can be used. Server with plain rice, or rice with vermicelli. *(we used to call it rice and worms as kids!)

Yahknit Samak bel Zafaran
Fish Stew with Onions and Saffron

Ingredients:

2 onions, cut in half and sliced
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 - 4 cloves garlic, crushed
Juice of 2 - 3 lemons
1/4 tsp crushed saffron threads or powdered saffron (*saffron is hard to find and VERY expensive, you can replace this with turmeric if you can't use saffron)
Salt and white pepper
2 pounds skinned fish fillets or fish steaks of any sort - your choice of fish!

Fry the onions in 2 Tbsp of the oil until golden. Add the garlic, and just as it begins to color, add the lemon juice, saffron, a little salt and about 1 cup water. Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes.

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

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

Serves 4 - 6

Variation:
For samak bi loomi, a version from the Gulf States, use 3 Tbsp ground dried limes instead of lemon, turmeric instead of saffron plus 1 tsp crushed cardamom seeds.]]>