"Samakeh harra is one of my all-time favourite dishes. I have a similar recipe to this in my first book, Palestine on a Plate, which is the version that my mother’s family use. They are from the coastal area of Palestine, from Yaffa and El-Lyd, which means their version is lighter and sharper. My father’s family is from Safad, which is closer to the border of Lebanon, so they are in the north of Palestine where the climate is colder, and this is reflected in the slightly heavier dishes that they make. This version is cooked with tahini sauce and cayenne pepper and covered with toasted pine nuts. I like to eat it with rice to make it more of a meal."
1 x 800g white fish of your choice (I use sea bream), scaled and gutted
1 tsp. salt
Juice of 1 lemon
200g pine nuts
50g butter, melted
A pinch of paprika
A small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Olive oil to drizzle
6 tbsp. Greek yogurt
3 tbsp. tahini
Juice of 2–3 lemons
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
100ml water
Salt to taste
