Tarator is the name used in different countries for sauces made with a variety of nuts. This sharp, garlicky one with pine nuts belongs to Syria and Lebanon. In Egypt it was served at grand buffet parties, where whole fish were entirely covered with it. For this simpler version you may use any white fish—fillets or steaks.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　6 fish steaks or fillets

　　Salt

　　Olive oil

　　

For the Tarator Sauce

1 slice white bread, crusts removed

　　1 cup pine nuts

　　Juice of 1–2 lemons

　　1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed

　　Salt and white pepper

　　1/2 cup light sesame or sunflower oil

　　

Step 1

Season the fish with salt and bake in foil (see “To Cook Fish in Foil,” at below).

　　

Step 2

For the sauce, soak the bread in water and squeeze dry. Put it in the food processor with the pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, a little salt and pepper, and enough oil to have a cream the consistency of mayonnaise.

　　

Variations

Step 3

Another way of making the sauce is to use fish stock instead of the 1/2 cup oil.

　　

Step 4

For a party dish, choose a large, delicate fish such as sea bass, hake, catfish, or salmon. Have it skinned and filleted and put the fillets together in a large piece of foil. Cook as described in “To Cook Fish in Foil,” at below. Make 2–3 times the quantity of tarator sauce. Serve the fish cold, covered with the sauce, with the head and tail in place. The fish is usually decorated with a crisscross pattern, using fried pine nuts or flaked almonds. Alternative garnishes are: lemon slices, flat-leaf parsley, sliced green pickles, olives, radishes, and pieces of pimento.

　　

To Cook Fish in Foil

Step 5

In many Middle Eastern countries, home cooks used to send fish to be cooked, wrapped in newspaper, at the baker’s oven. Now they cook it in foil. In this way the fish is steamed in its own juice and the flesh remains moist. It can be a whole large fish, or the fillets arranged in the shape of a fish with the head—if you want it for the presentation—wrapped separately. Brush a large sheet of foil generously with extra-virgin olive oil. Place the fish or fillets in the middle and sprinkle lightly with salt. Wrap in a loose parcel, twisting the foil edges together to seal it. Bake at 450°F— since the packet is sealed, there is no danger of even a fillet’s drying out. The cooking time depends on the size of the fish. Test for doneness for a large fish after about 30 minutes. Cut down to the backbone at the thickest part and check that the flesh flakes away from the bone and has turned opaque right through. Fillets might be ready after 15–20 minutes.

　　

Step 6

Serve the fish hot or cold (let it cool in the foil) accompanied by a sauce.

　　The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Copyright © 2000Knopf