On my last trip to Israel, I spent a few days at Uri Buri’s Efendi Hotel, renovated from two Pasha’s palaces in the old city of Akko. I had heard of the legendary Uri Buri, a larger-than-life presence whose name is synonymous with seafood and fish; in the hotel’s restaurant, of course also called Uri Buri, we tasted his creations such as mackerel with eggplant and salmon with wasabi ice cream. While we ate, he came to join us, sharing stories about the comings and goings from the port of Akko, from the Bible to modern times.
Libyan Spicy Fish Dish (Uri Buri’s Chraime)
April 02, 2021
Ingredients
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 2large carrots, cut in rounds
- 8celery stalks with leaves, roughly chopped
- ½hot green pepper, thinly sliced
- ½hot red pepper, thinly sliced
- 10garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1teaspoon salt
- 1teaspoon turmeric
- 1teaspoon paprika (hot, sweet, or a blend of both)
- 3cups fish stock, approximately
- 2pounds red grouper, snapper, sea bass, arctic char or salmon filets, cut into 4 to 6 pieces
- Pinch coarse salt
- 2tablespoons chopped cilantro
Yield: 4 servings
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a heavy frying pan with a cover and add the carrots and celery. Stir for about 5 minutes then add the hot peppers, garlic, salt, turmeric, and paprika.
- Step 2
Add 1 cup of the fish stock and the fish filets, making sure that each piece of the fish has enough room to lie on the bottom of the pan.
- Step 3
Add enough stock to cover the sides of the fish, without covering them completely, and bring to a boil. Then, cover and simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes or until almost cooked. Check periodically to ensure there is still liquid in the pan. If necessary, add a little more fish stock.
- Step 4
When the fish is nearly done cooking, remove fish to a plate. Reduce the sauce, until it becomes thicker, by about half. Then, add the fish back to the pan, garnish with the chopped cilantro, and serve.