Fish with Rice

Ingredients

    2 kg sea large white fish

    3 cups long grain rice

    3 large onions

    3 tablespoons olive oil

     3/4 cup vegetable oil

    1/2 cup raw pine nuts

    1/2 cups almonds

    1/2 teaspoon turmeric

    1 teaspoon cumin

    1 teaspoon caraway

    1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

    2 teaspoons salt

Preparation

1- Fry the almonds and pine nuts in 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a pan, until they turn light brown. Remove from pan and set aside on a kitchen absorbent paper. Reserve the pan for frying the fish.

  2- Rub the inside and outside of the fish with some salt and olive oil.

  3- Add the remaining vegetable oil to the pan and fry the fish until tender. Turn off the heat.

   4- Peel the skin off, and remove the bones and head. Discard the bones and keep the head. Cut the fish flesh into big serving pieces and set aside.

  5- Fry the onions, in the reserved oil in the pan, until crispy and brown in color. Remove 3 tablespoons of the fried onions and keep aside for the garnish.

   6- Add the head, the spices, and 4 cups of hot water to the fried onions in the pan.  

   7- Remove the fish head. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 30 min on medium heat or until the onions become very soft. Bring the sauce to a boil then add the rice. Cover the pan and cook the rice over low heat for 25 min. Add more hot water if needed and taste to see if more salt and seasoning is needed. The rice is cooked when all water has evaporated.

   8- Put the rice in a serving plate. Place the fried fish pieces on top and sprinkle with the fried onions, pine nuts and almonds.

  9- Serve hot.

H.Zoghib