Savta Latifa's Salona Recipe

Hot out of the oven

Initial mixture for the sauce

After cooking down with the spices.  Still has some more thickening to do....

Get in my belly!

Mmm...salona...fish fillets baked in a sweet & spicy tomato and onion curry....I learned it from my grandmother who's family came to Israel from Iraq. This dish is served at many family meals on my dad's side, sometimes even as a first course, but that's because they are nuts and awesome. It's also great if you don't love that "fishy" taste since the sauce is so flavorful!  It's even better the next day and also freezes great.  Serve with white rice or cous cous.

Ingredients:

This makes about 6-7 servings.

About 2 lbs fish fillets - I prefer catfish, whitefish, or cod

3-4 Tbsp olive oil

3-4 onions, sliced (depending on size)

3-5 tomatoes, chopped + 1 sliced for garnish

1 tsp sour salt. Try to buy this, it's adds good flavor.  Or substitute 3 Tbsp lemon & 1 tsp salt

4-5 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

1 tsp hot paprika, or regular paprika + crushed red pepper

1 tsp each salt and pepper

1 tsp curry

3 Tbsp tomato paste

1 whole jalapeno (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350

Saute the onion in olive oil on med/high until lightly browned.  Add tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients, except for the fish.  If you're adding the jalapeno, just toss it in there whole to add a little extra heat. Simmer until mixture is soft  - about 20 minutes.  It should be thick and pasty, with no thin liquid left. 

Taste the sauce.  It should be very spicy and very sweet, and a little sour.  The fish won't be seasoned, so the sauce should be good and strong.  Add salt, pepper, or sugar to taste.  Remove jalapeno.

Spoon enough of the sauce into a 13x9 glass/pyrex pan to cover the bottom.  Place fish in pan to make a single layer, and cover with the remaining sauce.  If you want, garnish the top with thin tomato slices.

Bake uncovered in oven about 20 minutes, until fish almost completely cooked.  Raise oven temp to broil, and broil about 5 more minutes, or until top just starts to char.  Keep a close eye on it, because once it starts to blacken, this happens fast.

Serve with white rice or cous cous.