‘Falastin’ Cilantro-Crusted Roasted Cod (Samak Mashew Bil Cozbara w al Limon)

Here’s a fish dish for cilantro lovers, adapated from Falastin: a Cookbook, by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley. We reviewed the book in July 2020. The authors make the point that it’s a super-quick preparation; 15 minutes “from beginning to end.” It definitely takes a little longer than that if you make the optional tahini sauce, but we loved the nutty richness it added. Still, it’s also very good without it.

Serves four.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2/3 cup finely chopped cilantro (50 grams, about a large bunch)

3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/3 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon chile flakes

Salt and black pepper

4 large cod fillets (or another sustainably sourced meaty white fish, or salmon), about 1 1/2 pounds

4 large fresh bay leaves (optional)

2 lemons: 1 cut into 8 very thin slices, 1 quartered lengthwise into wedges

About 1/4 cup Tahini Sauce (recipe follows)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Line a roasting dish or sheet pan with parchment paper or a Silpat.

2. Put 2 tablespoons of the oil into a small saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 10 seconds, then add the cilantro, the cardamom, cumin, turmeric, paprika and chile flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a grind of black pepper. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, for the garlic to really soften, then remove from the heat.

3. Place the cod in the prepared roasting dish, skin-side-down (if there’s skin), and brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then spoon the cilantro mix on top of each fillet. Spread it out so the whole top is covered, then top each one with a bay leaf (if using), along with 2 slices of lemon. Roast for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through. Serve at once, with about 1 tablespoon of tahini sauce drizzled over, if desired, and lemon wedges alongside.

To make Tahini Sauce

Whisk together a generous 1/2 cup tahini, 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 crushed garlic clove and 1/4 salt. You want the consistency to be “like that of a smooth, runny nut butter,” write Tamimi and Wigley. If it is too thick, add a bit more lemon juice or water; if it’s too thin, add a little more tahini. Keeps well in the fridge for up to four days. If it gets too thick after its trip through the fridge, give it a stir and add a little water or lemon juice.

Recipe notes

• We only tested this with cod. The original recipe calls for fillets with the skin on, but the cod we found did not have skin. We didn’t miss it. In any case, you’ll want to place down the side that used to have skin, which is slicker and less rounded than the top.

• The original recipe calls for 2 1/12 cups / 50 grams cilantro, finely chopped. We measured 50 grams of cilantro, using just the leaves and some of the tender stems but discarding the thicker ones. Finely chopped, that measured 2/3 cup, so we adjusted to avoid confusion.