Baked fish with pistachio and tahini (samke harra)

Ingredients

• 1 x 2 kg whole snapper, scaled and cleaned
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ⅓ cup olive oil, plus extra for oiling the baking tray
• 1 onion, finely diced 
• tomatoes, seeded and finely diced, to taste
• red capsicum, finely diced, to taste
• 1 cup fresh pistachios, chopped, plus extra for garnish
• 1 cup lemon juice 
• 1 tsp harissa
• 1 cup tahini 
• water, as required
• ¼ bunch parsley, finely chopped
• ¼ bunch coriander, finely chopped 
• extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200ºC. Season snapper well with sea salt and ground black pepper.

Roast in an oiled baking tray for 1 hour or until almost cooked.

Meanwhile in a saucepan combine oil, onion, tomatoes, capsicum and cook over low heat, strring occasionally, until soft.

Add pistachios, lemon juice, harissa, tahini and enough water to make a thin sauce consistency, and cook slowly until oil starts to separate from the sauce. Spoon over snapper and bake for a further 10 minutes.

Combine chopped herbs and extra vigin olive oil. Serve fish sprinkled with the extra pistachios and with the herb oil.