flipSun-dried salted Nile mullet
Sun-dried salted Nile mullet
Why this dish? Nile fish is the food most closely linked to Bastet; it was placed on her altars and fed to her sacred cats. Salted and dried, it could wait for the festival without spoiling under the Egyptian heat.
Open mullet fillets, rubbed with salt and coriander, then dried in the sun and desert wind. Firm, salty flesh with a deep flavor, which kept for weeks and was eaten shredded on bread.
I, Bastet, daughter of Ra, watch over the houses of the Two Lands, and it is the fish of the great river that my servants lay at my feet. See how they open the mullet, cover it with salt as one covers a dead body with bandages, and entrust it to the burning breath of my father the Sun. Thus the flesh does not spoil and waits until my festival. Take a little on your bread, mortal, and remember that I guard your home as the cat guards her kittens.
- •Whole Nile mullet — a few fish (flesh to preserve)
- •Salt from the coast or oases — in abundance (preserving agent)
- •Coriander seeds — a handful (flavor)
- •Sun and desert wind — several days (drying)
Sun-dried salted Nile mullet
Open mullet fillets, rubbed with salt and coriander, then dried in the sun and desert wind. Firm, salty flesh with a deep flavor, which kept for weeks and was eaten shredded on bread.
Why this dish? Nile fish is the food most closely linked to Bastet; it was placed on her altars and fed to her sacred cats. Salted and dried, it could wait for the festival without spoiling under the Egyptian heat.
I, Bastet, daughter of Ra, watch over the houses of the Two Lands, and it is the fish of the great river that my servants lay at my feet. See how they open the mullet, cover it with salt as one covers a dead body with bandages, and entrust it to the burning breath of my father the Sun. Thus the flesh does not spoil and waits until my festival. Take a little on your bread, mortal, and remember that I guard your home as the cat guards her kittens.
Ingredients (period version)
- Whole Nile mullet — a few fish (flesh to preserve)
- Salt from the coast or oases — in abundance (preserving agent)
- Coriander seeds — a handful (flavor)
- Sun and desert wind — several days (drying)
Ingredients
- Mullet fillets (or mackerel) — 4 fillets (flesh to preserve)
- Coarse salt — 300 g (salting)
- Crushed coriander seeds — 1 tsp (flavor)
- Ground cumin — 1/2 tsp (flavor)
Method
- Rinse the fillets and pat them dry thoroughly.
- Mix the salt with the coriander and cumin, then completely coat the fillets with this mixture in a shallow dish.
- Cover and let drain in the refrigerator for 48 hours, turning the fillets and pouring off the released water.
- Rinse quickly, pat dry, then dry for 24 to 36 hours on a rack in the refrigerator (or in a dry, cool place) until the flesh is firm.
- Slice thinly and serve shredded on flatbread, drizzled with a little oil.
How it was made : Without refrigeration, Egypt preserved its fish through salting and solar drying; these salted fish were a staple, sold, offered to the gods, and stored in jars. *Fesikh*, fermented mullet still prepared today for spring festivals, is a direct descendant of these ancient techniques.
The contemporary twist : Serve in thin slivers on a warm flatbread with fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime — a "Nile bresaola" for an appetizer.
Sources : Herodotus, Histories, Book II · Ikram, S., Death and the Nile: Ancient Egyptian foodways
Bastet · Charactorium
