Moroccan Baked Fish With Onions
- Total Time
- 1½ hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 1½pounds grouper, halibut or snapper, cut in six 4-ounce portions of equal thickness
- Salt and pepper
- 2bunches cilantro
- 2garlic cloves, smashed to a paste
- 1serrano chile, very finely chopped, or to taste
- 1teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and coarsely ground
- 1teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground, plus ½ teaspoon whole seeds
- 2tablespoons paprika
- ½cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3tablespoons lime juice
- 2tablespoons butter
- 3large onions, sliced ¼-inch thick (about 4 cups)
- ½teaspoon turmeric
- Pinch cayenne
- 1preserved lemon, finely diced
- 1cup green or black olives, with pits
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
434 calories; 31 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 785 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Preparation
- Step 1
Season fish fillets lightly with salt and pepper and set aside. Wash cilantro and pat dry. Reserve a few cilantro sprigs for garnish, then roughly chop leaves and tender stems and put in a medium bowl. Add ½ teaspoon salt, the garlic, the chile, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, the paprika, ½ cup olive oil and the lime juice. Stir mixture together.
- Step 2
Pour cilantro sauce over fish fillets, reserving 4 tablespoons of the sauce for serving. Coat both sides of fish with the mixture. Cover and leave at room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerate for up to several hours.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, put butter and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide skillet over high heat. Add sliced onions and season generously with salt and pepper. Add remaining ground cumin and ground coriander, ½ teaspoon whole coriander seeds, the turmeric and the cayenne. Stir to coat. When onions begin to soften, turn heat to medium. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until onions are soft and begin to brown. Stir in preserved lemon and olives. Cool to room temperature. (The onions may be cooked in advance.)
- Step 4
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread onions in a low baking dish. Arrange marinated fish fillets over onions in a single layer. Bake on top rack until fish is just done, 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, smear a little reserved cilantro sauce over each fillet, and give each guest a large spoonful of the onions. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.
Private Notes
Comments
I subbed in cod—the firm white fish for the people’s budget—in this recipe. Didn’t have preserved lemons, so swapped our for lemon juice. Added a dash of smoked paprika just because I had some on hand. No fancy olives here, just a handful of Spanish Queen spared from a swim in my martini glass. And even with all of my little substitutions, this recipe CHANGED MY LIFE. I’m not exaggerating, really. Keep your poached salmon and your seared ahi tuna!
For more vegetables in the dish, I added two cups of sliced tender-steamed cauliflower to the sautéed onions as they began to brown and it worked very well.
I used tilapia. I increased the cumin and coriander to 2t each and kept the other marinade ingredients the same. I added an extra onion and half a cauliflower broken up into small florettes, 2t each of cumin, coriander and turmeric and extra cayenne. With the preserved lemon I used 2T of capers instead of the olives. Served it with Basmati rice and Naan.
It was delicious! My husband and son love flavorful dishes, which is why I increased the spices. I will make it when friends come for dinner.
We’ve made this recipe several times basically as written, and it’s always been a hit. In Oregon, I catch halibut, ling cod, rockfish so usually use halibut but honestly the cod and rockfish are equally as good. The onions and preserved lemon and olives are all integral to the flavor so don’t omit. Marinating the fish in the cilantro sauce for a couple hours is a must. Preserved lemons are simple to make (lemons and salt and I add bay leaf), last indefinitely in the fridge and taste the same as store bought. It’s a very good fish dish for a crowd- making a double recipe tonight.
Absolutely fabulous! Used 1/2 a chili because the heat was a bit much, even for us who like heat. Used cod instead of halibut. Used lemon zest and slices instead of preserved. Scooped about 1/2 of the marinade onto the fish prior to cooking. Would have left more of the marinade to serve it with but it was really an unbelievable recipe! 10/10!
Made this last night for a fish based dinner party. Absolutely amazing dish, lovely flavours, a total success. As a bonus, very easy to prepare and everything can be assembled in advance and cooked at the last minute. Preserved lemons make all the difference, I encourage you to not skip them
Advertisement