Fish and Seafood Recipes - Arabian Sayadieh

Ingredients                 

• 750 g/1 1/2 lb whitefish fillets, skinned and cubed

• Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 30 ml/2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour

• 120 ml/4 fl oz/1/2 cup corn oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 225 g/8 oz/1 cup long-grain rice

• 450 ml/2 cups fish stock

• 2.5 ml/1/2 tsp ground cumin

• A pinch of saffron powder

• 50 g/2 oz/1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

---

Method:

1. Put the fish in a glass bowl. Add the lemon rind and juice and season with salt. Leave to stand for 30 minutes.

2. Drain and pat dry on kitchen paper. Season the flour with a little salt and pepper and use to coat the fish.

3. Heat the oil in a frying pan (skillet) and fry (sauté) the fish until lightly golden. Remove from the pan with a draining spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

4. Add the onion to the pan and fry until golden. Put the fish and onion in a flameproof casserole (Dutch oven). Add the rice, stock, cumin and saffron.

5. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes until the rice has absorbed nearly all the liquid. Then reduce the heat to as low as possible, cover and simmer very gently for about 10 minutes until the rice is tender.

6. Leave undisturbed for 5 minutes then turn out on to a serving dish and sprinkle with the pine nuts.