Siniya – Fish cooked in tahini

Siniya – Fish cooked in tahini is a dish from Palestinian communities, usually called siniya. Lana Zaher and her mother Julia, owners of the Al Arz Tahini company, refer to this recipe in their family as fish tagine.

It can be prepared from scratch or 'If you have leftover fish from yesterday's dinner, use it for this dish,' says Julia. It should be eaten with your hands and pita on the side to scoop the sauce. The tahini sauce, fried onions, and fish can be prepared ahead of time and stored separately in the fridge. An hour before baking, take out the components and let them reach room temperature.
The tahini sauce, fried onions, and fish can be prepared ahead of time and stored separately in the fridge. Bring to room temperature 1 hour before baking.
This recipe was presented as part of the Flavors from the Library event with Lana Zaher and her mother Julia.

Ingredients

½ cup + 2 tbsp olive oil
6 large onions (1 kg), peeled, halved, and sliced thinly
Salt
Ground black pepper to taste
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground cinnamon
5 fillets of sea bass or bream (total weight 750 grams), skin on, halved and deboned

For tahini sauce:
1 cup raw tahini
⅔ cup water
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt

Preparation

Heat ½ cup olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden. Don't rush the caramelization process; the onions should be golden-brown, soft, and sweet. Remove from heat, but leave the onions in the pan. Season with salt and black pepper, stir lightly, and set aside for 15 minutes to cool.
Meanwhile, prepare the tahini sauce: Mix the tahini, water, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt until you get a smooth, thin tahini sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary (it's important that the tahini is well-seasoned).
Pour the tahini over the onions, season with allspice, cinnamon, and a pinch of black pepper, stir, and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture slightly thickens, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Remove from heat.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (grill mode).
In a separate skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil over high heat. Season the fish with salt and black pepper and, starting with the skin side down, fry for 30 seconds on each side. At this point, the fish should not be fully cooked.
Assemble the dish: Arrange the fillets in a single layer on a large, deep baking sheet. Pour the tahini over the fish and sprinkle with fried onions. Bake in the middle of the oven until the tahini sets and becomes golden, about 15 minutes.
Garnish with parsley and serve warm with pita.

Serve with parsley, coriander, or mint leaves.

Check out other recipes of ours!

For 4 people

About 1 hour

Medium