Lebanese-style fish ‘risotto’ with toasted nuts (sayyadiyeh)
“A very simple rice dish, which I like to call a ‘risotto’ even though it is not as moist as the Italian version. There are many variations, but this is a simplified version of my mother’s. The rice is a lovely golden-brown colour because the fish stock is blended with caramelised onions before the rice is cooked in it.”
- Serves4
- CourseMain meal
- Prepare10 mins
- Cook1 hr
- Total time1 hr 10 mins
- Plussoaking
Ingredients
- 400g basmati rice
- 125ml extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tbsp
- 600g onions, sliced into thin wedges
- 2 gluten-free vegetable stock cubes
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 25g unsalted butter or ghee
- 30g pine nuts
- 30g flaked almonds
- 4 fillet/s skin-on white fish fillets (such as haddock or cod)
- 1 handful/s coriander leaves, to serve
- 1 lemon, quartered
Method
Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear, then tip it into a bowl and cover with salted water; leave to soak for 30 minutes.
While the rice is soaking, put 125ml olive oil in a large frying pan and set over a medium-high heat. Add the onions, then fry for 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly, until they caramelise and turn a rich golden brown; take off the heat. Meanwhile, put 1 litre water and the stock cubes in a large pan and bring to the boil. When the onions are ready, add them, with their cooking oil, to the stock pan with the cumin and pepper; set over a medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, then whizz until completely smooth with a stick blender. Return to the heat and bring to the boil.
Drain the rice and add to the stock, then turn the heat up to high. As soon as it starts bubbling, turn the heat down to low. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until the rice is tender. At this stage, it should be moist but not wet; if it needs more liquid or if the rice is sticking to the bottom, add 125ml just-boiled water and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Wrap the lid of the pan in a clean tea towel, set over the pan and let stand.
Meanwhile, put the butter or ghee in a small frying pan and set over a medium heat. When it has melted, add the pine nuts and almonds and cook, stirring continuously, until golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper.
Pat the fish fillets dry with kitchen paper and season with salt. Put the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in a large, nonstick frying pan and set over a medium-high heat. When the pan is very hot, slide in the fish fillets, skin-side down, and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the skin is crisp and golden. Flip over and cook for another couple of minutes or so, until the fish is cooked through, opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
Serve the rice with the fish fillets, scattered with the toasted pine nuts, almonds and coriander leaves, plus the lemon quarters for squeezing.
Nutritional
Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe
Energy | 4,296kJ/ 1,027kcals |
|---|---|
Fat | 51g |
Saturated Fat | 9.1g |
Carbohydrates | 90g |
Sugars | 11.1g |
Fibre | 6.5g |
Protein | 48g |
Salt | 2.2g |