Sayadieh
Spiced Fish with Caramelized Onion Rice
Sayadieh is the great fish dish of the Palestinian coast, born in the port cities of Jaffa, Akka, and Gaza where the day's catch met the cook's pantry. Its name comes from the Arabic word for fisherman, and everything about it speaks of the sea and of patience at the stove. Onions are cooked down slowly until they are deeply browned and sweet, then simmered into a stock that stains the rice a warm, toasty brown and carries the scent of cumin, cinnamon, and allspice. The fish is seared and laid over the rice, showered with toasted pine nuts or almonds, and served with a sharp tahini and lemon sauce that cuts through all that richness.
Method
Pat the fish dry and rub it all over with the juice of half a lemon, 1 teaspoon of the cumin, and a good pinch each of salt and pepper. Set it aside to sit while you cook the onions.
Warm 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt, then cook, stirring often, until they collapse and turn a deep golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes. Take your time here, because the color and sweetness of the onions are what give the finished rice its warm brown color and flavor.
Scoop out about a third of the darkest onions and set them aside on a plate for garnish. Add the water or fish stock to the pot with the remaining onions and bring to a simmer. Let it bubble gently for 10 minutes so the onions melt into the liquid, then strain the broth, pressing on the onions to extract all their flavor, and return the broth to the pot. You should have about 3.5 cups of deeply colored broth.
Stir the remaining 1 teaspoon cumin, the cinnamon, allspice, coriander, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste into the broth and bring it back to a boil. Add the rinsed rice, stir once, and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 18 to 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
While the rice cooks, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the fish pieces until golden and just cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side depending on thickness. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely to keep warm.
Toast the pine nuts or almonds in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Watch them closely, since they turn from golden to burnt quickly.
Make the tahini sauce by whisking the tahini with the lemon juice and grated garlic in a small bowl. It will seize and thicken at first, so whisk in cold water a little at a time until it loosens into a smooth, pourable sauce. Season with salt to taste.
Fluff the rice with a fork and spread it on a large platter. Lay the seared fish over the top, scatter with the reserved browned onions and the toasted nuts, and finish with chopped parsley. Serve hot with the tahini-lemon sauce on the side for spooning over each plate.
Cook’s notes
- The spiced caramelized-onion rice with toasted nuts is delicious on its own as a vegetarian or vegan pilaf if you leave out the fish, using water or vegetable stock in place of fish stock.
- If the onions start to scorch before they brown evenly, add a splash of water and lower the heat, then keep going until they are a rich mahogany color.
- Cod, sea bass, and grouper all hold together well, but any firm white fish works. Skin-on fillets stay especially juicy when seared.
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