Spicy Libyan Fish

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Tomato sauce

1. 1
   In a bowl, mix the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, hot paprika, paprika and cumin with the salt.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveWide, shallow pot
2. 2
   Add the red pepper and fry 3 minutes, until the pepper softens.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
3. 3
   Add the tomato paste, cumin, paprika, hot paprika and turmeric and stir about a minute, until fragrant.

   ⚙ SimmeringStove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.

To assemble

1. 4
   Pat the fish pieces dry with paper towels and place it in the sauce, skin side down, and spoon some of the sauce over it. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 20–25 minutes, until the fish flakes easily.

   StoveLid

   💡Pat the fish dry and don't overcook it: wet fish thins the sauce, and overcooked fish dries out and falls apart.
2. 5
   Turn off the heat and sprinkle the cilantro over the top.
3. 6
   Serve with fresh bread.