Whole roasted fish topped with a spicy walnut-cilantro sauce, a coastal Lebanese celebration dish.
This platter is inspired by samke harra, the spicy roasted fish dish beloved along Lebanon's coast, especially around Tripoli, where whole fish is roasted and topped with a bold sauce built from tahini, walnuts, cilantro, garlic and chile. Coconut milk isn't traditional to samke harra, so this version stays honest to the original tahini-based sauce rather than reaching for coconut, which belongs to different culinary traditions entirely. The fish is roasted whole, which keeps it moist and lets the flesh pull easily off the bone at the table, a presentation style common at Lebanese celebrations and holiday gatherings. The sauce is really the heart of the dish: toasted walnuts ground with garlic, chile, cilantro and tahini, loosened with lemon juice and a little water until it's pourable but still clings to the fish. Served on a large platter with the sauce poured generously over the top and extra on the side, this is a dish meant for sharing, typically appearing at larger Lebanese family gatherings rather than everyday dinners.
Serves 4
Pat the fish dry, score the skin 2-3 times on each side, and rub with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt, inside and out.
Roast at 220C/425F for 25-30 minutes, until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily at the thickest part near the spine.
While the fish roasts, toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat 3-4 minutes until fragrant, watching closely so they don't burn.
In a food processor, pulse toasted walnuts, garlic, chile and cilantro until finely chopped. Add tahini, lemon juice and remaining salt, blending until smooth.
With the processor running, add water a tablespoon at a time until the sauce is thick but pourable, similar to heavy cream.
Add water slowly — tahini sauce can suddenly seize and turn thick and pasty if too much is added at once, then loosens again with more water.
Transfer the roasted fish to a large platter, pour the sauce generously over the top, and finish with toasted pine nuts. Serve extra sauce on the side.
Score the fish skin before roasting so it cooks evenly and the seasoning penetrates deeper into the flesh.
Toast the walnuts before blending — raw walnuts make the sauce taste flat and slightly bitter.
Test doneness by checking near the spine, the thickest part; the flesh should flake easily and no longer look translucent.
Individual fillets: use 4 fish fillets instead of a whole fish and reduce roasting time to 12-15 minutes.
Add a small can of tomato paste to the sauce for a version closer to some Tripoli-style samke harra recipes.
Make it dairy-free and nut-free by substituting toasted sesame seeds for the walnuts, blended with extra tahini.
Refrigerate fish and sauce separately for up to 2 days. Reheat fish gently in a low oven to avoid drying it out; the sauce can be served cold or gently warmed.
Samke harra is strongly associated with Tripoli, Lebanon's northern coastal city, where the combination of tahini, walnuts and chile in the sauce reflects the broader use of tahini across Lebanese cooking; it's traditionally served at celebrations and large family gatherings rather than as a quick weeknight meal.
Yes, fillets work well and cook faster, around 12-15 minutes at the same temperature, though a whole fish gives a more traditional presentation.
Tahini seizes when lemon juice or water is added too quickly; keep adding liquid gradually while blending and it will loosen back into a smooth sauce.
Yes, reduce or omit the chile and rely on the walnuts and cilantro for flavor; the heat level is easy to adjust to taste.
Per serving (320g / 11.3 oz) · 4 servings total
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