Ed Becharian, a Florida resident, is trying to recreate a spicy fish rub recipe once handed down to him by his mother.
Here’s what he’s looking for:
“Once upon a time my Mom had given me a recipe for an Armenian "rub"... I lost the recipe a while back and have not been able to quite re-create it since....I do not remember the exact formulation but I do know that it had among a lot of ingredient salt/pepper/cumin/cayenne/paprika and sumac (?) and some herbs (?) ..... I believe it was used in the old country to spice a whole fish before deep frying....it was an outstanding spice rub even without frying and it tasted AMAZING on salmon, whitefish, snapper, you name it....anyway being a Floridian we buy/broil/bake a lot of fish and that's the fish recipe I have been hunting for....Mom used to make that with a tomato juice based pilaf rice that was our version of comfort food growing up.”
The spice mix recipe I sent Ed (see below) can be used on fish, as well as lamb, beef, pork chicken, or sprinkled in soups, stews, or on vegetables. (There's a lot of pepper in this, so be warned!)
For Ed’s request, I suggested using the spices on a mild-flavored fish, such as tilapia or any white fish. The fish can either be baked, broiled, grilled, or fried. A recipe for ‘Spicy Baked Fish’ follows the spice recipe.
Once you’ve created the spice mixture, place it in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and store it in a pantry or cupboard. This should keep for about 2 to 3 months. Be sure to stir or shake the spice mixture before using in order to redistribute the ingredients.
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| Versatile Spice Mix |
Yield: approximately 1/2 cup
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons of paprika
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of ground white pepper
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 tsp. of ground coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of ground sumac
1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients together until well-blended. (NOTE: To be sure there are no lumps, you might want to sift the spices before adding the oregano.) Place in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and store in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months. Stir or shake mixture before using.
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| Spicy Baked Fish with Zucchini and Feta |
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 pound white fish (Ex: tilapia, cod, haddock)
1 ½ to 2 tsp. versatile spice mix
1 tablespoonlemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoon oil
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Cut fish into 4 equal pieces.
3. Spritz a 9x13x2 inch baking pan with vegetable spray. Place fish in prepared pan.
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| Spice mix in shaker |
5. Bake, uncovered, until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 20 to 25 minutes. NOTE: Amount of baking time will depend on the thickness of the fish. Thin fish bakes quickly!