Fish With Harissa Sauce

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Fish With Harissa Sauce

Tunisian Fish with Harissa Sauce

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.

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:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.