Chraime with Charred Banana Pepper and Green Chilli Salsa - Recipe by Ellie Bouhadana

Ingredients

Chraime:

6 cod fillets, skin on (you can also use skin-on flathead or another firm white fish)
125mL extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for frying
8 garlic cloves, very finely sliced
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1/2 bunch coriander stems finely chopped (reserve the leaves for the salsa)
1 Tbs ground cumin
2 tsp baharat
1 Tbs smoked paprika
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 Tbs sweet paprika
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
125 g double-concentrated tomato paste
500mL water
Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)

Charred banana pepper and green chilli salsa:

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus 80mL
3 banana peppers
1 green chilli, seeds left in, finely diced
1/2 bunch coriander, leaves picked and finely chopped (reserve the stems for the chraime)
1/4 bunch flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method

Chraime:

Wash the fish and pat it completely dry with a paper towel. Season both sides of the fish with flaky salt and leave to rest in the fridge uncovered, overnight if you can. Bring the fish to room temperature by taking it out of the fridge 30 minutes before you want to cook it.

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a wide frying pan over a low heat, then gently sauté the garlic, green and red chillies and the coriander stems for about a minute. When the garlic has turned a golden colour and smells fragrant, add the dried spices along with the teaspoon of salt and quarter teaspoon of pepper. Mix everything together and fry until the spices smell beautifully fragrant and toasty.

Add the tomato paste to the pan and stir. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the tomato paste has taken on a deep red colour and thickened to form an oily paste. Add more olive oil a drop at a time if the paste looks too dry (I usually add another 2 tablespoons at this point) and stir. Slowly pour in the water to loosen the paste until you arrive at a consistency that is somewhere between a paste and an oily, loose sauce (you may not need to use all the water).

Increase the heat to medium and bring the sauce to a fast simmer for 2 minutes, then return the heat to low and keep the sauce at a low steady simmer until the taste of the tomato paste has mellowed and the sauce tastes deep and spicy – this should take about 10 minutes.

Add more water if the sauce is reducing too much or starting to burn. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and the pinch of chilli flakes for extra heat, if you like. Keep the sauce covered and either off or at a low simmer until the fish is ready.

Place a heavy-based or cast-iron frying pan over a medium-high heat and pour in enough olive oil to cover the pan (about 2 tablespoons). When the oil is searing hot (be patient – you’ll know it’s hot enough when the oil starts to shimmer and smoke slightly), confidently place the first couple of fish fillets skin side down in the pan, standing back while they crackle.

Fry the fish in batches, adding new oil to the pan for each batch and seasoning the flesh lightly with flaky salt. Fry each fillet until you can easily lift the skin off the pan with a spatula, about 4-5 minutes. Do not move or lift the fish before the heat has set a good initial mark on it, or you will tear the skin. Flip the fish carefully and fry on the other side until it is just cooked through, about 2-3 more minutes. Season the skin lightly with flaky salt.

Charred banana pepper and green chilli salsa:

Put a heavy-based or cast-iron frying pan over a high heat. Pour 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into the pan and when it is searing hot, add the banana peppers. Turn the peppers every now and then, taking care not to burn yourself as they may spit and pop. Fry for 2-4 minutes, until they are well charred on all sides but still have a good amount of their natural lime yellow colour remaining.

Remove from heat and once the banana peppers have cooled a little, finely chop them to create a texture that when mixed with oil will resemble salsa.

Mix the chopped peppers, green chilli, fresh coriander, parsley and lemon juice in a bowl. Pour in enough of the olive oil to create the consistency of a salsa (you might not need all 80mL), season with salt and pepper and stir so that the ingredients are well mixed.

Leave the sauce to rest for at least 30 minutes so the flavours intensify.

To serve:

Serve the chraime while hot, with the salsa on the side and a piece of braided challah or sesame focaccia flatbread to mop up the sauce with.

Credits: This is an edited extract from Ellie’s Table by Ellie Bouhadana, published by Hardie Grant Books. Available in stores nationally from 1 May 2024. Photography by Lucia Bell-Epstein. RRP $55.

Photo Credits: This is an edited extract from Ellie’s Table by Ellie Bouhadana, published by Hardie Grant Books. Available in stores nationally from 1 May 2024. Photography by Lucia Bell-Epstein. RRP $55.