Fish With Harissa Sauce is another classic Tunisian dish, and a national favorite. The Harissa sauce is what makes this fish meal so unique and outstanding.
(Photo Attributed to Author: Narek75)
Fish With Harissa Sauce Recipe-
Ingredients:
- 4 lb. red snapper or sea bass fish, heads and tails left on
- 8 tbsp olive oil (if pan-frying your fish – if grilling, just 2-3 tbsp.)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped fine
- 6 large cloves garlic, peeled and rough chopped
- 2 tbsp. Harrisa sauce, or to taste
- 2 large ripe red tomatoes, sliced into thick rounds
- 2 bay leaves
- 14 oz. black olives, pitted and chopped
- 8 oz. water
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Directions:
- Season the fish with salt and pepper to taste, and then either grille or pan fry them (in your largest skillet, or in 2 skillets if necessary, or you could fry in batches) until cooked through. Keep warm in the oven while you prepare the rest of the dish.
- If you pan-fried your fish, add the garlic and onion into the pan and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you grilled the fish, heat the oil in the pan until good and hot, and then do this step.
- Now add in the harissa, bay leaves and water, stir together, and cook, stirring now and then, until the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce consistency.
- Add the fish back into the pan and stir and toss them until coated with the sauce. Simmer for just a few minutes, until the fish has absorbed the flavors and is nice and hot again.
- To serve your Fish with Harissa Sauce, arrange the fish on a large, attractive serving platter (or two). Scatter the chopped olives over the fish, and arrange tomato slices and lemon wedges around on the platter. Put the harissa sauce mixture in a bowl (discard the bay leaves) and set on the table for each person to use as they wish for dipping or spreading the sauce on their fish.