Kammooniyya (baked fish with tomatoes and rice)

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
¼ cup Vegetable oil
2 larges Onion; peeled and sliced 1/4
;inch thick
3 cloves Garlic; peeled and cut
;crosswise into paper thin
;slices
1 teaspoon Ground cumin
1 cup Celery; finely chopped
½ cup Tomato puree; canned
1 cup Water
1½ teaspoon Salt
Black pepper; freshly ground
4 Porgy fillets; (each about
;1/2 pound), or other firm
;white fish fillets
1 medium Tomato; slice 1/4 inch thick
RICE:
¼ cup Vegetable oil
½ cup Onion; finely chopped
2 cups Rice, white; long or medium
;grain
3 cups Cold water
1 teaspoon Salt
Black pepper; freshly ground

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). With a pastry brush spread 1 tablespoon of the oil on the bottom and sides of a shallow baking serving dish just large enough to hold the fillets side by side in one layer.

In a heavy 10 to 12 inch skillet, heat ¼ cup of oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. Add the sliced onions, garlic and cumin and, stirring frequently, cook for 7 or 8 minutes, or until the onions are soft and golden brown. Be careful not to let the garlic burn. With a slotted spoon, transfer the onion mixture to a plate. Add the celery to the oil remaining in the skillet and stir it for about 5 minutes until it is soft but not colored. Return the onions to the pan and stir in the tomato puree, water, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and a few grindings of the pepper. Stirring constantly, cook briskly until most of the liquid in the pan has evaporated and the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape almost solidly in the spoon. Remove the pan from the heat.

Wash the fish fillets under cold running water and pat them completely dry with paper towels. Sprinkle them with the remaining teaspoon of salt and arrange them side by side in the baking dish.

Pour the sauce over the fish, smoothing and spreading it to the edges of the dish with a spatula. Arrange the tomato slices on top of the fillets and sprinkle them with the remaining tablespoon of oil. cover the dish tightly with a lid or foil. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, remove the cover and bake for 15 minutes longer, or until the sauce has begun to bubble and the tomatoes are lightly browned.

Rice:

Meanwhile, prepare the rice in the following fashion. In a heavy 3 to 4 quart saucepan, heat the ¼ cup of oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. Add the chopped onions and, stirring frequently, cook for about 10 minutes, or until they are deeply browned. Pour in the rice and stir for 2 or 3 minutes until the grains are well coated with oil.

Add the water, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a few grindings of pepper, and return to a boil, still stirring. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to its lowest point. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Remove the pan from the heat and let the rice rest covered for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve the fish directly from the baking dish. Fluff the rice with a fork, and serve it separately from a heated bowl.

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Source: Time Life Series: Middle Eastern Cooking "circa '69" MMed by: earl.cravens@...

Submitted By EARL CRAVENS On 02-12-95

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