Sayadeya — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A golden, aromatic fish and rice dish where the rice is cooked in rich caramelized onion broth and topped with crispy fried fish. A treasured coastal Egyptian recipe from the Mediterranean port cities.

Ingredients

1kg white fish fillets such as sea bass
3 cups Egyptian rice, rinsed
4 large onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
3 cups fish or vegetable broth
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
Juice of 2 lemons
Fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

1 Fry the sliced onions in oil over medium-low heat for twenty-five minutes, stirring often, until deeply caramelized to a rich dark golden brown color throughout.
2 Remove half the caramelized onions and blend with broth, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garlic to create a deeply flavored, golden-brown cooking liquid for the rice.
3 Season fish fillets with salt, cumin, and lemon juice. Fry in a skillet for three minutes per side until golden and crispy. Set aside on a plate.
4 In a heavy pot, toast the rinsed rice in a tablespoon of oil for two minutes. Pour the blended onion broth over the rice and bring to a boil.
5 Reduce heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly, and cook the rice for eighteen minutes undisturbed until fluffy and every grain is infused with golden color.
6 Mound the golden rice on a serving platter, arrange the crispy fried fish on top, garnish with remaining caramelized onions, parsley, and fresh lemon wedges.

Did You Know?

Sayadeya means "the fisherman's wife's dish" in Arabic, honoring the women of Alexandria and Port Said who created this masterpiece from the daily catch.