Moroccan Baked Fish With Onions
- 1 1/2 pounds grouper, halibut or snapper, cut in six 4-ounce portions of equal thickness
- Salt and pepper
- 2 bunches cilantro
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed to a paste
- 1 serrano chile, very finely chopped, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and coarsely ground
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground, plus 1/2 teaspoon whole seeds
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 large onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 4 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- Pinch cayenne
- 1 preserved lemon, finely diced
- 1 cup green or black olives, with pits
- 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 1/2 teaspoon salt, the garlic, the chile, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, the paprika, 1/2 cup olive oil and the lime juice.
- Stir mixture together.
- 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.
- 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, 1/2 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.)
- 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.
grouper, salt, cilantro, garlic, serrano chile, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, paprika, olive oil, lime juice, butter, onions, turmeric, cayenne, lemon, green
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016219 (may not work)