Sayyadiyah (Levantine Spiced Fish Rice)

La storia di questo piatto

Sayyadiyah takes its name from the Arabic word for fisherman, and it belongs to the Levantine coast, where Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian tables all claim it, and Egypt knows it as sayadiya. A Lebanese cookbook of 1890 by Khalil al-Khuri already wrote it down, yet the sources still argue over its true cradle, Akko, Beirut or elsewhere, and the sea keeps its secret.

Ingredienti

• 800 g Sea bass or hake fillets (skin on)
• 600 g Heads and bones of white fish (ask your fishmonger)
• 350 g Basmati rice
• 5 piece Large onions
• 110 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoon Ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon Ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground turmeric
• 40 g Pine nuts
• 30 g Slivered almonds
• 4 piece Lemon
• 1 piece Bay leaf
• 12 g Fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 bunch Fresh parsley
• 800 ml Water

Preparazione

1. Start with the broth, because it is the heart of everything. Cut one onion into thick wedges and place it in a dry pot over medium-high heat, without fat: let it blacken at the edges for 5 minutes, until it smells toasted and caramelized, since it gives color and depth to the broth. Add the fish heads and bones (600 g, rinsed well and without gills) and sear them dry for 2-3 minutes, stirring, so the broth doesn't turn out pale. Pour in 800 ml of water, add the bay leaf, 1/4 teaspoon of cumin, 1/4 teaspoon of coriander, a strip of lemon peel (taken from the first lemon, keeping the rest of the fruit aside) and 3 g of salt; bring to a boil, lower to low heat and simmer for 25 minutes, skimming impurities with a slotted spoon. The liquid should turn amber and smell of the sea and spices: strain it and keep it warm. You need 480 ml to cook the rice: measure it in a jug and set aside the excess broth for any adjustments during cooking.
2. While the broth simmers, prepare the marinade. In a bowl, mix the juice of 1 lemon (the second one), half a teaspoon of cumin, the black pepper, a pinch of cinnamon and 3 g of salt with a tablespoon of oil (15 ml), then dip the fillets patted dry with paper towel and turn them well. Let them rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes: the lemon should not cook them, only flavor them, so don't extend the wait or the flesh becomes chalky. Meanwhile, if you want a longer, fluffier grain, soak the basmati rice in cold water for 20-30 minutes.
3. Now the onions, and here there is no rush; you can make them alongside the broth and the marinade. Slice the remaining 4 onions thin as veils and place them in a wide pan with 70 ml of oil over medium-low heat and a pinch of salt (about 1 g): stir occasionally for 30-35 minutes, until they become a deep mahogany color, soft and sweet, smelling of caramel and not of burning. If they dry out too much and stick, a spoonful of water loosens the bottom. Set aside one third of them, covered and kept warm, for the garnish: they are the secret of the dish, don't forget them.
4. Transfer two thirds of the remaining onions, with their oil and the dark bottom scraped from the pan with a splash of broth, into a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the spices: 1 generous teaspoon of cumin, 3/4 teaspoon of coriander, a generous pinch of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom and 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric. Toast them for 1 minute over medium heat, stirring, until the aroma becomes intense, and watch that they don't burn or they turn bitter. Pour in the well-drained basmati rice (washed or soaked), stir for 2 minutes to coat it in the golden base, then cover with 480 ml of hot filtered broth (measured: it should barely cover the rice, without diluting it) and adjust with 4 g of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to minimum, cover with the lid and cook for 15 minutes without lifting it: the rice must absorb all the liquid and remain fluffy, amber, never creamy like a risotto.
5. Turn off the heat and let the rice rest covered for 10 minutes, so the grains dry out and separate from one another. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts and almonds in a dry small pan over low heat, shaking often for 3-4 minutes, stopping as soon as they take on a hazelnut color and smell toasted: they go from golden to burnt in an instant.
6. Drain the fillets from the marinade and pat them well, since moisture prevents a crust. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil (about 25 ml) in a wide pan over medium-high heat, until a drop sizzles immediately, and lay the fillets skin side down: let them form a golden crust without touching them for 3-4 minutes, until they release easily from the bottom, then flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Inside, the flesh should be just translucent and juicy. To recover the pan juices, deglaze with a splash of juice from the third lemon and pour it over the fish.
7. Fluff the rice with a fork, spread it on a serving platter like a bed, lay the fish on top and cover with the dark onions set aside, the pine nuts and the toasted almonds. Roughly chop the parsley and scatter it over the top. Cut the fourth lemon into wedges (plus any leftover pieces from the lemons used for peel and juice, if needed) and bring them to the table alongside the dish, so each person can squeeze to taste: the acidity is what wakes up every flavor. Taste and adjust the salt: this is the moment, before serving it hot and to be shared.