Fish shawarma sandwich
April 25, 2011 • Category: Fish/Seafood, Sandwiches
Ever had samkeh harra?Samkeh harra is a glorious dish that is served at buffets at big parties like weddings for example; it is a large fish (loukoz, a type of sea bass), baked whole (head and tail included) and served encased in a tahini and herb sauce with a touch of red chili pepper and a sprinkle of walnuts.
Well, I took the spices and flavors of this dish and converted it into a street food shawarma-style sandwich; easier to manage than a 5-pounder, you simply grill or pan-fry fish fillets, make a quick tarator and serve in a pita bread with fresh tomatoes and avocados.
INGREDIENTS: 4 servings
- 4 fish fillets of your choice
- 1/2 cup of tahini (4 ounces, 125 ml)
- 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice (4 ounces, 125 ml)
- 3 (or more, to taste) cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup of walnuts, crushed
- 1 bunch of cilantro or dill or flat-parsley
- 4 medium tomatoes
- 1 large avocado
- olive oil, as needed
- Spices: 2 teaspoons of sumac, 1 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander, pinch of cinnamon and salt, as needed
METHOD:
- Mix all the spices and sprinkle on the fish fillets, both front and back. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil and set the fillets aside. Crush the garlic with a dash of salt in a mortar until pasty. Transfer to a bowl, add the tahini and stir to combine. Add the lemon juice and stir, add up to 3/4 cup of water and stir constantly until the tarator is smooth. Keep in mind you want it fairly thick and not too watery, so always add the water gradually, checking the texture and taste and adjust if needed.
- Grill the fish or pan-fry in some olive oil until the fish is done. While the fish is cooking, slice the tomatoes, avocados and onions if using. Open each pita, slather with tarator, sprinkle some crushed walnuts, extra herbs, place the fish in the bread, add the tomato slices and avocado slices and serve.
NOTE: The tarator is a sauce that you can adjust according to your taste; more garlic or lemon juice? sure! Anything goes! (tarator=tahini sauce)
Comments
33 Comments • Comments Feed
Devaki says:
Oh this is just beautiful for the summer and all those exciting flavors is a party in the mouth! Perfect modern interpretation to a traditional classic.
This one is calling my name this summer 🙂
chow! Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
On April 25, 2011 at 8:51 pm
Miriam says:
that grilled fish looks so tasty….i don’t love fish as much as i should…this looks like a simple recipe and would love to give this a try….:D
On April 25, 2011 at 8:57 pm
Claudia says:
I’ve never heard of it – but it does look luscious and pretty simple. I love the idea of “fish street food.” (Non-existant here). The entire sea bass must be exciting to see! The combo of avocado, tomatoes and then some tahini really enchants.
On April 25, 2011 at 9:28 pm
Belinda @zomppa says:
Love the way you created this gorgeous shwarma!
On April 25, 2011 at 10:07 pm
Banana Wonder says:
This is my kinda sammie! The combination of tahini, fish, spices and avocado sounds absolutely divine!!!
On April 25, 2011 at 10:33 pm
Carolyn Jung says:
I’ve enjoyed many a shawarma, but never a fish version. And I LOVE seafood. This sandwich has me salivating — big-time! 😉
On April 26, 2011 at 12:23 am
Rosa says:
Magnificent! That is a fabulous sandwich. This weekend, I made something similar with lamb…
Cheers,
Rosa
On April 26, 2011 at 1:37 am
Priya says:
Irresistible sandwich,fabulous!
On April 26, 2011 at 5:24 am
Koek! says:
This looks delicious… I might try it with snoek, a local fish that’s cheap and packed with flavour.
Robyn
On April 26, 2011 at 7:14 am
Joanne says:
I”m fairly certain that this shawarma would make for the most PERFECT lunch!
On April 26, 2011 at 8:45 am
Erica says:
That sounds like heaven…..I love tahini and that dressing has to be wonderful!
On April 26, 2011 at 9:01 am
gloria says:
look absolutely georgeous and delicious! gloria
On April 26, 2011 at 9:04 am
Faith says:
We love spicy fish but never thought to serve it in a sandwich. Great idea, Joumana!
On April 26, 2011 at 9:08 am
Chiara says:
a perfect recipe for this period, I love it, thanks for sharing dear Joumana, a hug…
On April 26, 2011 at 10:24 am
Carol says:
We are starting to add more fish to our menu, and this would fit the bill, so much flavor and spice, and the sauce so flavorful! I would love to try this, looks delicious!
On April 26, 2011 at 11:22 am
Joan Nova says:
I’ve never had this combination but I love every ingredient and the idea of putting it all together in a sandwich.
On April 26, 2011 at 11:24 am
TheKitchenWitch says:
That looks amazing AND healthy!
On April 26, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Steve @ HPD says:
Will you please move to Denver and open up a food truck? I’ll volunteer to serve and wash dishes!!
On April 26, 2011 at 12:40 pm
Viviane@Taste-Buds says:
Sounds interesting to have avocado with fish! I have had it with surimi and shrimps before but never thought of fish.
On April 26, 2011 at 1:25 pm
Diane says:
That looks mouthwatering. Diane
On April 26, 2011 at 2:24 pm
Juliana says:
What a yummie sandwich…looks delicious, light and yet very tasty. Hope you have a great week ahead Joumana 🙂
On April 26, 2011 at 3:20 pm
Barbara says:
Love your small version, Joumana. An interesting combo of flavors and ingredients. Walnuts are a surprise here and I bet they’re perfect with the avocado; nice and crunchy!
On April 26, 2011 at 3:37 pm
Maria @ Scandifoodie says:
This is a totally new dish to me. Sounds so flavoursome!
On April 26, 2011 at 5:12 pm
sensiblecooking says:
Very healthy, flavorful and the yummiest. I am making this as soon as I get my hands on the ingredients.
On April 26, 2011 at 6:01 pm
sheila @ Elements says:
This is my kind of meal! Perfect! 🙂
On April 26, 2011 at 11:17 pm
Alina says:
Ohhh! What a delicious and refreshing way to serve fish.Way to go!
Thanks for your visit!
On April 27, 2011 at 4:27 am
Cherine says:
This is so healthy and tasty!!
On April 27, 2011 at 5:58 am
Nazneen says:
Looks delicious! I have family visiting this summer and they love seafood. Definitely have to let them try this.
On April 27, 2011 at 11:16 am
Magic of Spice says:
What a wonderful dish for warmer weather Season…looks fantastic 🙂
On April 27, 2011 at 4:33 pm
Oui, Chef says:
Wow…I’m a huge fan of fish tacos, and these look 10 times better! – S
On April 28, 2011 at 3:23 pm
mrushad patel says:
this is an absolutly brilliant recipe. could you post your recipe for chicken shawarma? i
On April 29, 2011 at 9:35 pm
pat says:
yay the deliciousness!
On May 3, 2011 at 1:54 am