Fish with Tamarind Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup tamarind paste
• 2 cups hot water
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 flaky white fish fillets (6 ounces or 170 grams each), such as red snapper
• Gulf-Style Parsley Salad (recipe follows)

Gulf-Style Parsley Salad

• 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fine-grain bulgur
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• Zest of 1 lemon, plus juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 bunch radishes, greens attached (about 8)
• 4 cups finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (from 2 bunches)
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh mint
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt

Instructions

1. 1
   Place tamarind in a medium bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak for 15 minutes; mash tamarind. Strain through a sieve, pressing on solids and scraping the bottom of the sieve to remove pulp. Discard the seeds and set strained liquid aside.
2. 2
   Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in tomato, sugar, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and reserved tamarind liquid. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened. Add more water if sauce becomes too dry. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter and season with salt and pepper; keep sauce warm.
3. 3
   Season fish with salt and pepper. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sear fish skin-side down, turning once, until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Spoon sauce over fish and serve with parsley salad.
4. 4
   Gulf-Style Parsley Salad: Place onion in a small bowl and cover with ice-cold water. Let soak 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry; set aside.
5. 5
   Place bulgur in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse until water runs clear. Transfer to a large bowl. Add tomatoes and lemon zest and juice; stir to combine.
6. 6
   Remove greens from radishes. Thinly slice radishes using a mandoline and finely chop greens. Add radishes and greens to bulgur mixture along with parsley, mint, spices, oil, and reserved onion. Season well with salt and stir to combine.