One flavor combination that comes up again and again in Persian cuisine is sumac, lime, and yogurt. This whole roasted fish recipe is the perfect place to put that trinity to work. When you smother the fish in sumac—literally packing it into the skin like you’re giving it a clay mask—it forms a crisp crust while infusing the fish with its unique floral acidity.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　

For the Roasted Snapper:

1 whole red snapper, cleaned

　　2 tablespoons sumac

　　2 teaspoons kosher salt

　　¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

　　2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　

For the Lime Yogurt:

1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt

　　Grated zest and juice of 1 lime

　　½ teaspoon kosher salt

　　1 garlic clove, grated

　　

For serving:

Chopped fresh mint

　　Juice of 1 lime

　　2 limes, cut into wedges

　　

Roast the snapper:

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

　　

Step 2

Carefully use a sharp knife to score each side of the fish, making 5 or 6 incisions into the skin and flesh of the fish (this will help even more flavor seep in to the flesh). Season inside and out with the sumac, salt, and pepper. Really pack on the sumac! Place the fish on a baking sheet. Stuff with the sliced garlic and drizzle the olive oil all over. Roast until the eyes have popped and the flesh is firm to the touch, about 20 minutes.

　　

Make the lime yogurt:

Step 3

In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, lime zest, lime juice, salt, and grated garlic.

　　

To serve:

Step 4

Place the roasted fish on a serving platter and scatter mint over the top. Squeeze the lime juice over the fish and serve the yogurt and lime wedges on the side.

　　Excerpted from Eating Out Loud: Bold Middle Eastern Flavors for All Day, Every Day by Eden Grinshpan. Copyright © 2020 by Eden Grinshpan with Rachel Holtzman. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Reprinted by permission. Get the book from Penguin Random House, Amazon, or Bookshop.