5 min read
AMERICANS, TRADITIONALLY, AREN’T great about eating fish. We’re improving, at least according to the latest CDC report, which shows that roughly 24 percent of U.S. adults eat seafood at least twice a week. That percentage has ticked up a few points since the mid-2010s, according to the report, but still not amazing when you consider that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans—as well as many dietitians—recommend hitting that twice-a-week baseline for better overall health.
Maybe part of the problem is boredom. Because if you look at how many Americans prepare fish—broiled, steamed, fried—it’s totally un-fun.
It’s not like that in other countries. Take, for example, Egypt (yes, Egypt!) where different regions take seafood and turn it into not just the protein on the plate, but a powerfully delicious ingredient that makes a meal way more exciting.
The new cookbook, Egypt: Recipe and Stories From an Ancient Land, showcases this power.
Here are just three recipes from the book, each engineered to help you not just rethink how you cook fish, but rewire a love for it.
Oven Roasted Sardines
THESE SMALL-ISH FISH are loaded with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, full of flavor, and fast to cook. Crisp them in the oven at high heat and eat them like a snack. No, really. You’ll love them.
Jonathan Gregson
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
• 12 sardines, cleaned
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• ½ tsp ground cumin
HOW TO MAKE IT:
1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
2. Place the sardines on a baking tray and cover with olive oil. Sprinkle the salt and cumin evenly over the fish, then place the tray in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Turn the fish over and continue to cook for another 15 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool slightly, then dig in. Serves 4, as a snack
Fisherman’s Soup
THE DEEPLY FLAVORFUL broth, reinforced with warming spices, bathes flaky fish till tender. All the vegetables are an added nutrition benefit.
Jonathan Gregson
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
• 750g (1lb 10oz) grouper or any white, fleshy fish, scaled, cleaned and cut into 3 large pieces
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 onions, peeled
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 small lemon, quartered, plus extra to serve
• 2 celery stalks, very roughly chopped
• A few sprigs of parsley, plus extra to garnish
• A few sprigs of cilantro, plus extra to garnish
• 3½ Tbsp olive oil
• 3 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1lb 2oz fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Sea salt and ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil, to serve
HOW TO MAKE IT:
1. Fill a large pan with 1.5l (52fl oz/6½ cups) cold water and add the fish and spices. Quarter one of the onions and add to the pan with two whole garlic cloves, the quartered lemon, chopped celery and parsley and coriander (cilantro) sprigs. Add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the fish from the pot and set aside, then strain the broth into a bowl.
2. Chop the remaining onion and garlic, add to a clean saucepan with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook on a low–medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onion has softened. Add the diced potatoes and tomatoes and cook for a further 3–4 minutes until the tomatoes have softened. Pour half of the broth into the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer until the potatoes are tender and cooked through.
3. Using a handheld blender, blitz the vegetables and broth together into a smooth soup, adding more of the reserved cooking broth as needed. Carefully remove the skin and bones from the fish and flake into chunks. Add the fish to the soup with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of cayenne, then serve in large bowls with the remaining parsley and coriander garnished on top. Drizzle the soup with extra virgin olive oil and serve. Serves 4
Buried Grouper
A MASSIVE MOUND of fragrant rice, studded with spices, nuts, fruit, and chunks of meaty grouper. It’s satisfying and really good for you.
Jonathan Gregson
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
• 2¼ lb boneless grouper (or seabass, cod or any fleshy white fish), cut into large chunks
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Ground cumin, to taste
• 12oz short grain rice
• A pinch of saffron
• Generous ¾ cup vegetable oil
• 2 onions, grated
• 1 Tbsp ground turmeric
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• Sea salt and ground black pepper
For the Khalta:
• 3½ oz raisins
• Scant ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 onions, grated
• 3 ½ oz pine nuts
• 3 ½ oz blanched almonds, sliced lengthwise
HOW TO MAKE IT:
1. In a small bowl, mix the garlic with ground cumin, salt and pepper to taste, then use this mix to season the fish on all sides and set aside.
2. Rinse the rice under cold running water and set aside to drain. In a bowl, add a generous pinch of saffron to 2 cups freshly boiled water and set aside for a few minutes.
3. In a medium saucepan, heat 3½ Tbsp of the oil over a medium heat and fry the onions with the turmeric until golden brown. Add the drained rice and a generous pinch of salt. Stir the rice, then add the saffron water. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for about 20 minutes until the rice is tender.
4. To make the khalta, first soak the raisins in hot water for 30 minutes to plump up. Drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the grated onions and cook until they soften and start to colour. Add the raisins, pine nuts and almonds and stir continuously until the mixture is golden brown. Drain on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
5. Meanwhile, coat each piece of fish with flour and shake off the excess. Using the same frying pan that you used to make the khalta, heat the remaining oil and fry the
seasoned fish for 3–4 minutes on each side until cooked through and the fish is golden brown. Set the fish on a paper towel to drain off the excess oil.
6. To assemble, using a medium-sized bowl as a mould, place half the rice at the bottom of the mould. Arrange the fried fish over the rice, then place the remaining rice on top. Press down gently on the rice with the back of a spoon, then invert the bowl on to a platter and turn out the rice mound. Spoon the khalta over the top and sides of the rice. Any remaining fish can be placed around the mound of rice. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6
Paul Kita is a Deputy Editor at Men’s Health, where he has covered food, cooking, nutrition, supplements, grooming, tech, travel, and fatherhood at the brand for more than 15 years. He is also the author of two Men’s Health cookbooks, Guy Gourmet and A Man, A Pan, A Plan, and the winner of a James Beard Award.