flipNile Fish Salt-Dried with Cumin
Nile Fish Salt-Dried with Cumin
Why this dish? The Nile fed Egypt with its fish, dried and salted in large quantities to last through the year and the floods. In the stores of a house like Potiphar's, these preserved fish provided daily sustenance between feasts — the tasty ordinary fare of a riverine country.
Split Nile fish fillets, salted and sun-dried, rubbed with cumin and coriander. Strong, salty, and umami, eaten shredded on bread or rehydrated in broth.
The river gives, but the river takes, so one must know how to keep. We split the fish along the spine, lay it in salt like a dead body in natron, and entrust it to the sun and wind. When it is hard and amber, it lasts whole moons in the store. On marketless days, my maids shred it onto warm bread, and its salty strength rivals fresh meat.
- •Nile fish (tilapia, mullet) — several (base)
- •Abundant sea salt — to cover (preservation)
- •Cumin and coriander — to taste (flavoring)
Nile Fish Salt-Dried with Cumin
Split Nile fish fillets, salted and sun-dried, rubbed with cumin and coriander. Strong, salty, and umami, eaten shredded on bread or rehydrated in broth.
Why this dish? The Nile fed Egypt with its fish, dried and salted in large quantities to last through the year and the floods. In the stores of a house like Potiphar's, these preserved fish provided daily sustenance between feasts — the tasty ordinary fare of a riverine country.
The river gives, but the river takes, so one must know how to keep. We split the fish along the spine, lay it in salt like a dead body in natron, and entrust it to the sun and wind. When it is hard and amber, it lasts whole moons in the store. On marketless days, my maids shred it onto warm bread, and its salty strength rivals fresh meat.
Ingredients (period version)
- Nile fish (tilapia, mullet) — several (base)
- Abundant sea salt — to cover (preservation)
- Cumin and coriander — to taste (flavoring)
Ingredients
- Tilapia or mullet fillets (or mackerel) — 4 (base)
- Coarse salt — 500 g (preservation)
- Ground cumin — 1 tsp (flavoring)
- Ground coriander — 1 tsp (flavoring)
Method
- Split the fillets, pat them dry thoroughly.
- Bury them completely in coarse salt mixed with spices, in a cool place, for 24 to 48 hours.
- Rinse quickly, pat dry, then dry for 1 to 2 days in an airy place (or 4-6 hours in an oven at 60 °C, door ajar).
- The fish should become firm and amber; store wrapped in a dry place.
- Serve shredded on warm bread, or rehydrate for 1 hour in water for a vegetable broth.
How it was made : Dried and salted fish was a mass food in Egypt; fishermen gutted and salted their catch on the banks of the Nile, as shown in bas-reliefs. Salt and natron, already used for mummification, also served to preserve food. Some sacred fish were forbidden depending on the nome and priesthood.
The contemporary twist : Shredded into "Nile rillettes" with a little olive oil and spring onion, spread on grilled flatbread.
Potiphar's Wife · Charactorium