Grilled Fillet Of Red Snapper With Warm Chickpea & Pomegranate
I love the middle eastern flavour profile of this healthy dish – the combination of pomegranatie, sumac and cumin compliments the fish exquisitely.
Prep Time20 Minutes – excluding cooked chickpeas
Cook Time12 – 15 Minutes
Servings4 as a Main Course
Ingredients
- Red Snapper Fillet Portions x 4 @approx 180g each – all bones removed
- Lemons x 2 – juiced
- Cooked Chickpeas – approx. 400g
- Spinach x 2 bunches – well washed and roughly chopped
- Onion x 1 – Cut into thin slices
- Garlic Cloves x 3 each – crushed
- Pomegranate x 1 each – peeled and loosened
- Pomegranate Molasses x 3 Tablespoons
- Cumin (Jeera) Powder x 1 Tablespoon
- Sumac (Popular Middle Eastern Spice) x ½ Tablespoon + ½ Tablespoon
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 100ml
- Himalayan Pink Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Notes
Special Tools/Utensils:
- Oven
- Frying Pan
- Oven Tray
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180C.with the grill setting switched on.
- Place the Fish Fillets on an oven tray – drizzle with half the olive oil and the juice of one lemon. Season the fish with the 1 x ½ Tablespoon of Sumac, Salt and Pepper. Roast in the oven for approximately 10-12 minutes, depending how thick the fish fillets are.
- As soon as fish goes into the oven, place a medium sized pot or large frying pan on a medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, then add cumin and sumac – stir through, then add the spinach and chickpeas, turning the heat to high. Cook for approximately 3 minutes stirring regularly.
- Add the pomegranate molasses, juice of the other lemon and the pomegranate pearls – switch off the heat and season with salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon – press some of the mixture against the side of the pan or pot to ‘mash’ it ever so slightly, then mix back into the rest of the mixture.
- Place the chickpea mixture in thee centre of your plates, top with the fish fillet and spoon any remaining pan juices over the fish and serve.
Chef Profile
Stefan Marais
Stefan hails from Cape Town, South Africa and has been involved with food his whole life. He grew up in a small boutique hotel being run by his parents before heading to the UK where he started his training as a chef in Devon and London. Stefan, known as ‘Stef’ to friends and regulars alike returned to Cape Town and honed his skills at various establishments, ranging from simple bistros to fine dining restaurants. He eventually settled as the group executive chef for the ‘Societi’ group of restaurants and chef patron at ‘the Brasserie’. Seeking to broaden his horizons and share his passions, he started his own hospitality consultancy. Stef extended his service to India and headed to Goa, where he ran ‘Go with the Flow’ for three seasons while continuing with consulting work in the Middle East and Africa. Stefan relocated to Qatar in 2019, where he oversees the food operations at an organic farm while still offering broad based hospitality consulting services.. Stef has been honoured by the WWF for his contribution to promoting sustainable fishing practices and his time in Goa saw him walk away with two separate ‘Chef of the year’ accolades. Amongst others, Stef has had recipes and features in GQ, Cosmopolitan, and House & Leisure magazines while also appearing regularly on South African Television shows. He has a light touch and focuses on colourful, healthy dishes that are bold in flavor.