Nile salt-dried fish with coriander
River fish fillets, salted, scented with coriander and cumin, then dried in Egypt's dry sun. A flavorful preserve that can be nibbled as is or cooked with onions.
River fish fillets, salted, scented with coriander and cumin, then dried in Egypt's dry sun. A flavorful preserve that can be nibbled as is or cooked with onions.
Hapi overflows, and the river teems with fish: we catch them, we open them, we lay them in salt. The sun of my country does the rest, it that dries everything. Thus the fish keeps from moon to moon, and my workers who erect my colossi never lack strength. Chew it with an onion and a crust of bread: it is the food of those who build eternity in my name.
- •Nile fish (tilapia, mullet) — several, gutted and opened (base)
- •Salt — in abundance (preservation)
- •Coriander and cumin seeds — crushed (flavor)
Nile salt-dried fish with coriander
River fish fillets, salted, scented with coriander and cumin, then dried in Egypt's dry sun. A flavorful preserve that can be nibbled as is or cooked with onions.
Why this dish? The Nile fed Egypt with its fish. To get through the months without fishing and to supply Amenhotep III's titanic construction sites (Colossi of Memnon, Temple of Soleb), fish was salted and dried in large quantities — a protein reserve for the people and for expeditions.
Hapi overflows, and the river teems with fish: we catch them, we open them, we lay them in salt. The sun of my country does the rest, it that dries everything. Thus the fish keeps from moon to moon, and my workers who erect my colossi never lack strength. Chew it with an onion and a crust of bread: it is the food of those who build eternity in my name.
Ingredients (period version)
- Nile fish (tilapia, mullet) — several, gutted and opened (base)
- Salt — in abundance (preservation)
- Coriander and cumin seeds — crushed (flavor)
Ingredients
- Mullet, tilapia or mackerel fillets — 4 fillets (base)
- Coarse salt — 300 g (preservation)
- Crushed coriander seeds — 1 tbsp (flavor)
- Ground cumin — 1 tsp (flavor)
Method
- Rinse and dry the fillets thoroughly; mix the salt with the crushed spices.
- Completely coat the fish with this spiced salt in a shallow dish.
- Cover and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours, turning halfway (the salt draws out water).
- Rinse quickly, pat dry, then air-dry: hang near a window or use a dehydrator at low temperature for 12 to 24 hours.
- Store in a cool place in a cloth; enjoy in thin slices, or desalted then pan-fried with onions.
How it was made : Salting-drying was the great Egyptian preservation technique (also applied, differently, to mummification). Nile fish, salted in full sun in a very dry climate, kept for months and provided cheap protein for the masses and construction sites. Some sacred species were however forbidden for consumption depending on the nome.
The contemporary twist : Slice it into translucent shavings, 'Nile bresaola' style, on an emmer flatbread with a drizzle of oil and pomegranate.
Amenhotep III · Charactorium