Ingredients
Pan-fried haddock
1 tablespoon extra virgin rapeseed oil
4 haddock fillets, skin on
1 teaspoon hawai’ij spice blend (see below)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Mujadarra
100g green or brown lentils
2 tablespoons extra virgin rapeseed oil
2 medium red onions, sliced into rings
100g basmati rice
2 teaspoons hawai’ij spice blend
¹/² tablespoon sea salt, plus extra for the onions
275ml hot water
Charred cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra virgin rapeseed oil
500g cherry tomatoes on the vine
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Hawai’ij spice blend
3¹/² tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons ground turmeric
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1¹/² teaspoons ground cloves
Pan-fried haddock and mujadarra
On Wednesdays and Fridays, the Hartley fish van pulls into the church car park in our hometown of Tramore. Queues form to buy fish caught that morning from the nearby fishing village of Dunmore East. When we get the chance to join the queue, we like to make this as a midweek meal that is easy and fairly quick to make.
Hawai’ij, the Yemeni blend of spices popular in Israel, is used to flavour both the fish and the mujadarra. You can probably find most of what you need to make the blend at home or you can pick up a jar from us. We use it for shakshuka, soups and rubs for meat and veg. Mujadarra, the rice, lentil and onion dish served with the fish, is a staple in our house. Whether it’s served with fish or some roast vegetables, it’s comforting, nutritious and delicious.
Serves 4
Method
For the mujadarra, bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil, then add the lentils and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until softened but not yet cooked. Drain the lentils, then pour into a bowl and set aside.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt, cover and cook for 10–15 minutes, until soft and browned a bit. Add a little water to the pan if the onions start sticking. Remove one quarter of the onions for garnish.
Stir the lentils, rice, hawai’ij and salt into the onions and cook for 1–2 minutes. Add the hot water, cover the pan and cook for 25–30 minutes, until the rice is cooked. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and leave to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the tomatoes and fish.
For the tomatoes, heat a cast iron or frying pan on a high heat. Add the oil, then add the tomatoes on the vine and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 3–5 minutes, until they are charred and beginning to burst.
Transfer to a plate and place the plate on top of the mujadarra saucepan to keep warm.
For the haddock, add the tablespoon of oil to the cast iron or frying pan that you cooked the tomatoes in, keeping it on a high heat. Lightly season the fish with the hawai’ij and salt, then add it to the pan, skin side down, and cook for 3–5 minutes on each side, until crisp.
Remove the fish from the pan and serve immediately with the mujadarra and charred cherry tomatoes.
To make the hawai’ij spice blend mix all the spices together and store in a jar in a cool, dark place.
Taken from ‘Middle Eastern Food Made to Share’ cookbook by Nicola Crowley and Dvir Nusery.
