Ingredients
(Serves four)
8tbs (120ml) olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced very thinly across the grain
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
120g golden sultanas
1tsp ground ginger
Medium pinch (about 30 strands) of saffron
11/2tsp ground turmeric
11/2tsp ground cinnamon
400ml water
4 gurnard steaks, cut across the bone
400g firm potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm dice
1tsp orange blossom water (optional)
Method
To make the sauce, heat 6tbs of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are soft, sweet and just golden. Now add the garlic and sultanas and fry for five minutes more, until the sultanas swell and perhaps a few of them have caramelised slightly. Stir in all the spices and fry for one minute, then pour in the water. Let it simmer for five minutes, then remove from the heat. Up to this point, all can be done in advance.
Preheat the oven to 230°C. Season the fish with salt and pepper and rub with the remaining 2tbs of olive oil and set aside. Toss the potatoes with a good pinch of salt and leave for a couple of minutes, then stir them into the sauce. Pour the whole lot into a roasting tin large enough to accommodate the fish, cover with foil and put in the oven. The fish must be added at the right point so it will be ready at the same time as the potatoes, which will take 30 minutes once they come to a simmer. The steaks will take only 10-15 minutes, so let the potatoes bubble for a good 15 minutes before adding the fish.
Once you have added the fish, bake, covered, for half its cooking time then turn the fish over so it gets coated in the sauce and continue to bake, uncovered, until done. Sprinkle with the orange blossom water, if using, and serve, either with couscous or a green salad.
Sherry match by Moro 2006 Val de Sil Godello, Valdeorras, Spain
By Samantha Clark, Moro, London