Hamour Dishes That I Enjoyed in Dubai
By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer
“Let’s have hamour (grouper) again for dinner this evening. I love this fish! Let’s order fried hamour!” My daughter seemed to drool as we sat down in a Restaurant in Dubai’s Heritage Village planning to order our meal. The night before at another Restaurant overlooking the famous Dubai Creek crowded with dhows moving cargo and people between the two sides of the creek and beyond, we had we enjoyed tasty grilled hamour – the most favoured fish in the Arabian Gulf countries.
During my many trips to Dubai, I have always looked forward to the tasty hamour and other fish dishes in this evolving state in the United Arab Emirates, made mouth-watering by the use of exotic herbs and spices. Simply grilled or fried, or made into soups and stews with numerous types of spices hamour dishes are always scrumptious. The chefs in the many world-class hotels in the city are on a continuing basis re-creating traditional foods or inventing new hamour dishes.
Both the local people and travellers, like us, from other lands favour all types of hamour dishes. As in most eating places in Dubai and other Gulf countries, the fish we enjoyed was usually served fresh, at the epitome of taste. Cooks can always tell if a fish is fresh or frozen by the brightness of the eyes and the firmness of the flesh. The Arabian Gulf teems with fish and fishermen are plenty. For this reason, households and owners of restaurants buy their fish daily.
I have re-created to my own taste the following fish dishes that our family relished in that modern fairytale city. For all the included recipes other fish such as tuna or swordfish can be substituted for hamour.
Samak Maqli – Fried Fish
Serves about 4
Serve with lemon slices and tartar sauce or garlic sauce and French fries, it is one of my favourite dishes.
2 pounds hamour fillet
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
flour
Cut fish into 1/2 inch thick slices and set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients, except flour, then rub fish slices with this mixture and allow to-marinate for 30 minutes.
Roll fish slices in flour then deep-fry until golden brown – about 10 minutes, turning over once. Drain on paper towels then serve hot.
Makbous Samak – Fish with Lentils and Rice
Serves about 8
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups rice, rinsed
1/2 cup brown or green lentils, soaked overnight in 5 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 pounds hamour fillet, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup cooking oil
4 medium onions, finely chopped
flour
Melt butter in a saucepan, then add rice and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add lentils with their water, pepper, cumin, ginger, cayenne and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to boil and cover. Cook over medium/low heat for 25 minutes, stirring a number of times and re-covering to make sure the rice does not stick to bottom of pan. Turn heat off then stir and re-cover and allow to cook in own steam for further 30 minutes.
In the meantime, sprinkle fish fillet with the remaining salt and the garlic powder, then set aside for 30 minutes.
Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan, then sauté onions over medium heat until they turn golden brown, stirring a number of times and adding more oil if necessary. Set aside, but keep warm.
Heat remaining oil in a frying pan then roll fish pieces in flour and fry over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until they turn light brown, turning over once and adding more oil if necessary – do not overcook. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
Place rice and lentils on a platter, then spread onions evenly over top. Arrange fish fillet over onions then serve.
Tikat Hamour – Grilled Fish Kabab
Serves about 4
If the hamour is fresh, this dish is divine. Serve with lemon slices and cooked rice or French fries.
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2 pounds hamour fillet, cut into 1-inch squares
Combine lemon juice with salt and all the spices, then place fish cubes in a bowl and pour the spice mixture over the fish. Mix well then allow to-marinate for 1 hour. Place fish cubes on skewers and barbecue, turning them a few times or grill in oven until done – from 10 to 12 minutes in oven – barbecuing takes less time.
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