Samaki har’ra is a dish that is very popular in the Arab world, especially in Lebanon and particularly in the port city of Tripoli. While my version may not look traditional, the taste is truly authentic. It’s definitely something a little different from the usual salmon dish. Sea bass or snapper are also good fish for this recipe.
4–6 servings
INGREDIENTS
- Two 1 lb salmon fillets, skin on, center-cut and trimmed to be the same size
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup walnuts, toasted
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped coarsely
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped coarsely
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 4 hot red chilies, seeded and chopped
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Kitchen twine
FOR SPICY TAHINI SAUCE:
- 1 cup tahini
- ½ cup water
- juice of 2 lemons
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 4 hot red chilies, seeded and chopped
- sea salt
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Prepare the salmon fillets by trimming the extra thin belly part. Use tweezers to pull out any bones. Blot dry and sprinkle half of the cinnamon on the meat side of each fillet and set aside to make the filling.
- In a food processor, place the walnuts, garlic, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice and zest, chilies, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pulse a couple of times until all the ingredients are chopped. Don’t overprocess – try to keep a slightly coarse texture.
- Place one fillet skin side down on a working surface and place enough of the spicy walnut filling to fully coat the fish. Cover with the other fillet skin side up.
- Using the kitchen twine, gently tie up the fish to ensure the filling stays in place.
- Drizzle olive oil in the baking dish and put in the prepared fillet, drizzling a little more oil on top. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for about 20–25 minutes until done.
- Serve with the rice tabbouleh and the spicy tahini sauce on the side to drizzle over the cooked fish.
FOR SPICY TAHINI SAUCE:
- In a small bowl mix the tahini, water and lemon juice until creamy (it should look like smooth cake batter) and set aside. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic for 1 minute, then add the cilantro and hot chilies and stir for another minute.
- Pour in the tahini mixture and whisk to combine.
- Season with salt to taste. It should be a creamy pourable consistency – add a small amount of water if needed.
- Allow to simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavors mingle. Remove from heat and stir in the toasted pine nuts. Serve hot.
