Hraimi — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Firm white fish simmered in a bold, chili-spiked tomato sauce with cumin and garlic. This Tripolitanian classic showcases Libya's Mediterranean seafood heritage.

Ingredients

4 firm white fish steaks (sea bass or grouper)
4 tomatoes, pureed
1 onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp caraway seeds
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt
Fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1 Season fish steaks with salt, cumin, and a squeeze of lemon. Let marinate 15 minutes.
2 Heat olive oil in a deep skillet. Saute onion until golden, add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
3 Stir in tomato paste, pureed tomatoes, paprika, cayenne, and caraway seeds. Simmer 10 minutes until thickened.
4 Nestle fish steaks gently into the sauce. Spoon sauce over the top of each piece.
5 Cover and cook on low heat 15-20 minutes until fish is flaky and has absorbed the sauce flavors.
6 Serve on a platter with sauce spooned over, garnished with cilantro and lemon wedges.

Did You Know?

In Tripoli, fishermen's wives would prepare hraimi with the freshest catch brought in at dawn, and the dish was ready before the boats were even tied up.