Moroccan Fish with Cumin Seeds
Anaheim’s are very popular in Southwestern US Cuisine.Also called “New Mexican Chile”. These were developed by Dr. Fabian Garcia in New Mexico about 100 yrs ago who was seeking a chile pepper that was bigger, fleshier, and milder.
They got the name “Anaheim” when a farmer named Emilio Ortega brought these seeds to the Anaheim area in the early 1900’s. This chile can be roasted and peeled and used in recipes or stuffed to make chile rellenos just as the Poblano Chile.
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. cumin seeds, toasted
12 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
3 tsp. salt
2-3 pound whole red snapper, cleaned and scaled
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
12 new potatoes, sliced
4 tomatoes, sliced
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and sliced
1 lemon, sliced
5 whole mild green chiles (such as anaheims)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions:
Grind together the cumin, garlic, parsley and salt with a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in the lemon juice.
Place the snapper in a large, shallow baking pan and rub the spice mixture all over the fish. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 500F. Remove the fish from the refrigerator and scatter the carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, pepper, lemon slices and chiles around the fish. Pour some water and olive oil over the fish and vegetables. Bake, basting often, until the fish is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Recipe from Saveur Magazine, January 1999.