Introduction
Chraime is white fish simmered in a hot, garlicky sauce of tomato, red pepper, paprika and cumin, finished with lemon and coriander. It takes half an hour in one pan and works with any firm white fish, including frozen fillets. Serve it with bread or couscous for the sauce.
Chraime is a North African dish, and its name comes from the Arabic word for “hot”. Jewish families eat it on Friday night, at Rosh Hashanah and at the Passover Seder, and Jews who came from Libya made it popular in Israel. Recipes change from family to family; this one uses caraway and cumin. The sauce is close to that of shakshuka, but here it is cooked down until thick before the fish goes in. Leave the fish alone while it cooks, so it doesn’t break up.
Ingredients
- 4 white fish fillets, about 150 g each (cod, hake, pollock or sea bream)
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground caraway
- ½ to 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 can of chopped tomatoes (400 g)
- 150 ml water
- juice of ½ lemon
- a handful of coriander, chopped
- salt
Tools
- A large frying pan with a lid, about 28 cm wide
Preparation
- Heat the oil in the pan over a medium heat and cook the pepper for 5 minutes, until soft.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste and spices and stir for 1 minute, until the paste darkens. Don’t let the garlic burn.
- Add the tomatoes and water, season with salt and simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick.
- Season the fish with salt and lay it in the sauce. Spoon some sauce over it, cover and simmer on a low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until it flakes.
- Pour the lemon juice over the top, scatter with coriander and serve from the pan.