Saloona - Spiced Fish

My adaptation of Saloona an Iraqi Jewish dish associated with Purim as this dish and the festival is both sweet and sour. Traditionally made with white fish and baked in the oven on a bed of vegetables*. The sauce will easily cover 6 fillets but can cope (not quite as generously) with 8 if you wish to add 2 more pieces of ffish

For 6 people

1 large red onion
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 fresh chili
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
500g (1lb) really ripe tomatoes or
400g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes plus a tsp sugar
Juice of 1 lime or lemon
2 tbsp honey
6 fillets or cutlets of salmon or firm fish of your choice

Finely chop the red onion and tomatoes - if you wish you can de-seed these and remove the skins**. Quarter the chilli pepper removing the seeds if you don't want the salmon too hot. Mix the onion, chilli and tomatoes together and place in a bowl.

Grind the ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander and cumin together in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Add a little lime juice if necessary to help blend it. Smear this spice mixture over the salmon and place in the tomato mix. Pour over the remaining lime juice and leave for 2 hours to marinade turning halfway.

Remove the fish, heat a frying pan up and fry the salmon for 2-3 minutes on each side - depending on how you like it. Remove and allow resting for a minute in a warm place. Meanwhile add the honey to the marinade and pour into the pan and heat. Plate the salmon, pour over the warmed sauce and serve with lime flavoured rice or plain boiled new potatoes.

*If you wish instead of frying the fish you could bake with vegetables - use 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 celery sticks, an eggplant and a small squash or 2 medium potatoes whatever you choose. Follow steps 1 and 2 but marinade the fish for ½ hour and then place with the vegetable and marinade in a 20 cm (9 inch) round lidded casserole dish and cooked for 35-30 minutes in a medium high oven - 170ºC Fan, 190ºC. 375ºF, Gas Mark 5, Moderately hot oven.

**To skin tomatoes, make a tiny insertion in the skin. Place in a bowl of boiling water for a 60-90 seconds, the skin should now peel off easily with your fingers - mind out you don't burn yourself though.

Saloona - Spiced Salmon - Naturally Gluten Free