Countries › Tunisia › Chraimeh - spicy sauce and baked fish

Chraimeh - spicy sauce and baked fish

Spicy sauce with baked fish, traditional Tunisian recipe.

10 min

Prep

30 min

Cook

4

Serves

Ingredients

Other

⅓ cup corn oil, safflower oil or mild olive oil, plus more for frying1 pieces

garlic cloves, chopped12 pieces

paprika2 tbsp

caraway seeds1 tsp

chili pepper flakes, to taste1 pieces

kosher salt1 pieces

tomato paste3 tbsp

sugar1 tsp

1⅓ cups water at room temperature1 pieces

fish steaks such as salmon, tilapia or red snapper4 pieces

½ tsp white pepper1 pieces

Serrano peppers (optional)4 pieces

lemon1 pieces

¼ cup chopped cilantro1 pieces

Method

Place a wide pan (that can hold all the fish in one layer) on medium heat. Add oil. When the oil is hot, add garlic and sauté until garlic is transparent, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.

Add paprika, caraway seeds, chili flakes and 1½ tsp salt and cook for another minute.

Add tomato paste, mix and cook for another minute.

Add water, then mix, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the fish in one layer, sprinkle a little salt and white pepper on the fish and drizzle some of the sauce, cover the pan and cook on low simmer for 10-15 minutes until the fish is fully cooked (it depends on the thickness of the fish.) Let fish stand in the covered pan for 5 minutes before serving.

While fish is cooking, fry whole Serrano peppers in a little oil in a small pan over medium-high heat until tender and a little bit charred. Set aside.

Transfer fish and sauce to serving plates. Drizzle with lemon juice, sprinkle with cilantro and serve with one Serrano pepper per person on the side.