Blend the lemon juice and 1 tbsp of oil in
a shallow dish. Add the fish, turn to coat thoroughly, then cover and
marinate for 30 minutes. Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan and
fry the onions for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the fish,
reserving the marinade, and add to the pan. Fry for 1-2 minutes each
side until lightly golden, then add the cumin, saffron strands and a
little salt and pepper.
Pour in the
fish stock and the reserved marinade, bring to the boil and then simmer
for 5-10 minutes or until the fish is nearly done. Transfer the fish to
a plate and add the rice to the stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the
heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes until nearly all the stock has
been absorbed. Arrange the
fish on top of the rice and cover the pan. Steam over a low heat for
15-20 minutes. Transfer the fish to a plate, then spoon the rice onto a
large flat dish and arrange the fish on top. Sprinkle with toasted pine
nuts and garnish with fresh parsley.
Serves 4-6
This Arabic fish dish, Sayadich is
especially popular in Lebanon.
