"Brown Sayadieh is a cherished Lebanese classic, where tender chunks of white fish crown a bed of fragrant rice infused with caramelized onions and warming spices like cumin, allspice, and saffron. This one-pot casserole delivers comforting layers of flavor, with optional toasted pine nuts and almonds adding nutty crunch. It's an effortless yet impressive dish perfect for family dinners or special occasions."
🥗 Ingredients (11 items)
Method 4 Steps
- 1
To make the stock, cut the heads off the fish and put them in a pot with 3 cups of water, salt, and all the spices. Boil for about 40 minutes. Remove the heads from the stock, then add the rest of the fish, cut into 2 pieces each, and the lemon juice. Cook for a few minutes (it doesn't take long to cook the fish!), then remove, discard the skins and bones, and set aside.
- 2
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat and fry the chopped onions until they are brown (not black!). This will give the rice its nice colour and taste. If using pine nuts and almonds, fry them first until slightly golden, then remove from the oil and set aside.
- 3
Add the rice and the fried onions with their oil to the fish stock (usually 1 cup of rice needs 2 cups of liquid to cook). When the stock starts boiling, reduce the heat and cook slowly, without stirring, until the rice is ready and the stock has been absorbed.
- 4
Break the fish into smaller pieces and place them on top of the rice with the toasted pine nuts and almonds (if available). Decorate with some fried pieces of flatbread. Serve with a side dish of vegetables or salad.
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