Fish sayadeya

Sayadeya is the signature dish of the Egyptian coast: brown onion rice with seasoned fish, fried or grilled, laid over it. The whole dish turns on the onion, browned until it goes deep and dark, and it is that liquid which colours the rice and gives it its flavour. Pick a fish with firm flesh so it does not fall apart on top.

Ingredients

• 1 kg Nile perch or sea bass, cleaned and cut into slices
• 2 cups Egyptian rice, soaked for 15 minutes
• 3 large onions, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• Cumin, coriander, black pepper, salt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Oil for frying

Method

1. 1.Season the fish

   Season the fish slices with salt, cumin, coriander, pepper and lemon juice, and leave them at least 15 minutes in the fridge.

2. 2.Brown the onion

   Brown the onion in oil over medium heat until it goes deep brown without burning. This is the most important part of the dish and takes 15 to 20 minutes, so do not rush it.

3. 3.Make the rice liquid

   Lift out half the onion and set it aside. To the rest add the garlic, tomato paste and two and a half cups of hot water, and let it boil for five minutes.

4. 4.Cook the rice

   Drain the rice, add it to the liquid, check the salt, cover and leave on a low heat for 15 to 20 minutes until it is dry and cooked through.

5. 5.Fry the fish

   Fry the fish slices in hot oil until golden on both sides, or grill them if you prefer, and rest them on kitchen paper.

6. 6.Serve

   Spread the rice on a wide dish, lay the fish over it, scatter the reserved browned onion on top and serve with tahini salad and lemon.

Tips

• Nile perch is the ideal choice here because the flesh is thick and the bones few, so the slices hold together on top of the rice. Sea bass also works well.
• If the onion burns, start again. Burnt onion puts a bitterness through the whole pot of rice and nothing hides it.

What this recipe uses

Nile perch (qeshr bayad)

Sea bass (qaroos)

Grouper (wa'ar)

Questions about this recipe

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