Delights from the Garden of Eden, an Iraqi Cookbook
Contents Vegetarian Appetizers and Salads Snacks, Sandwiches, and Side Dishes (vegetarian) Rice Poultry Fish Desserts: Light Puddings, Halwas, and Candies Cookies Food Preservation: Jams and Pickles Suggested Menus Introduction

Fish

Baked Fish Stuffed with Sumac Mix (Samak Mashwi bil-Summaq)
(Makes 4 servings)

This recipe is adapted from the thirteenth-century Baghdadi cookbook. Originally fish is to be baked in the tannour, but the regular oven will do the job just fine. Although the recipe calls for a whole fish, which would be a nice thing to have, I sometimes use the whole tail part of a medium to big salmon, slash the skin and fill it and tie it the way I normally do with a whole fish.
  • 2 1/2 to 3 pounds whole fish such as a small salmon or 2 big trout, butterflied. Keep skin and make 2 to 3 diagonal slashes on the outer skin on both sides
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

For the stuffing:

  • 1/2 cup sumac, see Glossary
  • 1/4 cup za'atar or thyme, see Glossary
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander, cumin, cinnamon, each, optional
  • 4 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1/2 cup toasted walnut, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • About 3 tablespoons water
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