This is a fillet take on Food52’s ‘Samke Harra’ – a Lebanese preparation of whole fish. The sauce for this is different from the usual Mama Mona style in that you cook the mix first. I’ve added my own twist, and eliminated the oven prep for this altogether since it’s hot as hell outside. I love the walnuts in this!

The nice thing about recipes like this one is they are variable – if you have parsley and no cilantro, that’s cool! If you have almonds and no walnuts, that’s cool too! As long as you have the major components, and you season, it’ll taste good.

Also, you can use a fish filet of your choice! Trout here works well, or a sea bass if you fancy, but you can really use any white fish and be happy. YOU the one ordering. Choose what you like or what’s fresh at the fish counter that day, or experiment with something new! I used two fillets of striped sea bass and BOI. It hit.

Recipe

1. Add all the ingredients up to the olive oil to a food processor. I only put as much olive oil as I needed into the food processor to get it going, the rest I’ll add to the pan later. Give the mixture one or two rough pulses. DASSIT.

2. Add the mixture to a pan on medium-low along with the rest of your olive oil and let it rock, giving it a stir now and again while you prepare the fish. I didn’t take it off until the onions and jalapeno were getting golden. If you’re using fresh garlic, make sure you don’t turn the heat up and burn it!
3. Dry your fish off with paper towels. DO NOT PUT WET THINGS INTO HOT OIL. I put the filets on a paper towel, dry it off, season it on one side on the paper towel and then add it seasoning-side down to the pan and throw the paper towel away. Then, I season the other side. Saves a dish!
4. Sprinkle some coarse salt, pepper, and cumin on both sides
5. I have perfected how I want to get an evenly crispy skin on the fish, but here’s my best shot: In a cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet add some grapeseed oil and heat on med-high, lay the fish skin side UP for only three or four minutes.
6. Trying your very best not to break your fillet, turn it over skin side down. Try to make sure there’s oil underneath the fish before you turn it. If it looks like the oil in the pan is excessive, drain some after you flip the fish. AFTER YOU FLIP THE FISH.
7. Now, spoon your walnut-onion-jalapeno goodness onto your fish.

If you have some leftover, this would be a great way to make more fish later in the week and you can just add the sauce!

8. Leave it for 7 minutes or so, until the skin releases from the bottom.
9. Flip it BACK over onto the plate so the skin is skn side up and doesn’t get drenched in sauce (look if you’re not into crispness, as I clearly am, this doesn’t have to be a big deal aight)
10. Spoon the sauce left in the pan on EVERYTHING!!!!