Description
This traditional Lebanese Sayadieh recipe features deeply caramelized onions, fragrant spiced rice, and perfectly pan-fried white fish. Layered with flavor and texture, it’s a celebration of coastal cuisine, finished with crispy onions and toasted nuts.
Ingredients
- Whole white fish (snapper or sea bass), 2–3 lbs, filleted with head and bones reserved
- All-purpose flour, ½ cup
- Olive oil, for frying
- Fish head and bones (from above)
- Bay leaf, 1
- Cardamom pods, 2–3
- Cinnamon stick, 1
- Yellow onions, 3 large, thinly sliced
- Vegetable oil, ½ cup
- Long-grain white rice (e.g., Basmati), 2 cups (unrinsed)
- Ground cumin, 1½ tsp
- Ground coriander, 1 tsp
- Ground cinnamon, ½ tsp
- Ground allspice, ½ tsp
- Turmeric, ½ tsp
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Slivered almonds or pine nuts, ½ cup, toasted
- Fresh parsley, ¼ cup, chopped
- Tahini sauce (tarator), for serving
Instructions
- Simmer fish head and bones with bay leaf, cardamom, and cinnamon in 8 cups water for 30–40 minutes. Strain to get 6–7 cups of broth.
- Fry onions in vegetable oil with salt for 25–35 minutes until deep brown. Reserve half for garnish. Blend remaining with 1 cup broth into a dark onion base.
- Dredge fish fillets in seasoned flour and pan-fry in olive oil until golden. Set aside. Stir rice and spices into onion base, toast for 1 minute, then add 4 cups broth. Simmer covered for 20 minutes.
- Let rice rest 10 minutes off heat, then fluff. Place fish on top, cover for 5 minutes to warm through.
- Serve garnished with crispy onions, nuts, parsley, and tahini sauce.
Notes
If you don’t have whole fish, substitute with fillets and high-quality fish stock.
Ensure onions are cooked to a very dark brown for authentic flavor.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Simmering, Frying
- Cuisine: Lebanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
Keywords: Sayadieh, Lebanese fish rice, caramelized onion rice, Middle Eastern seafood, authentic Sayadieh