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Fish, Africa and overseas

Yemeni spiced fish with flatbreads

Yemeni spiced fish is a whole sea bream coated in a garlic, cumin and lemon paste, then roasted with tomatoes. It serves 4, takes 60 minutes, has a medium difficulty level, and costs about €4.20 per person. The key is butterflying the fish so the spice paste reaches every part, paired with warm homemade flatbreads on the side.

Tonight, we're heading to Djibouti with Yemeni spiced fish, coated in a fragrant spice paste and roasted in the oven, served with warm flatbreads.

Yemeni spiced fish with flatbreads
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€4.20
Calories per person
470 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Roasted sea bream takes on a whole new character here thanks to a paste of raw garlic, cumin, coriander and turmeric, brightened with lemon juice. The fish soaks up these spices as it roasts and stays moist, while the tomatoes soften around it into a fragrant juice you spoon back over the fish. Homemade flatbreads, browned in a skillet, soak up that juice and add a tender, slightly crisp bite.

This is a dish worth planning for a Sunday or an evening when you have a bit of extra time, since you'll want to make the flatbreads alongside the fish. Kids generally like the delicate flesh of the bream and the warm flatbreads, as long as you adjust the garlic and spices to their taste. It's also an easy way to switch things up from breaded fish and to host without any complicated technique.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Whole sea bream 2

Pantry

  • Ground cuminoften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Ground corianderoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Turmericoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Flouroften in the pantry 300 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 5 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Fresh cilantro 6 sprigs
  • Lemon 2
  • Tomatoes 3

Dairy

  • Plain yogurt 1

Allergens Fish, Gluten, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Scale and gut the sea bream, then butterfly them open.

    Ask your fishmonger to prep them, it saves you ten minutes.

  2. Crush the garlic with the cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to make a spice paste.

    Add the chopped fresh cilantro at the end, it keeps its color.

  3. Coat the fish with this paste inside and out, set them on a baking sheet with the tomato wedges and roast. 25 min

    Baste them halfway through with the pan juices, the flesh stays moist.

  4. Mix the flour, yogurt, a pinch of salt and a little water into a soft dough, then divide into balls. 10 min

    Don't overwork the dough, it stays tender.

  5. Roll out each ball into a thin flatbread and brown it in a hot, dry skillet, about 2 minutes per side. 10 min

    Keep the flatbreads warm wrapped in a clean towel, they stay soft.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick sea bream that looks truly fresh, with bright eyes and firm flesh, that's what makes the difference once roasted.
  • Make the spice paste a bit ahead and let the fish marinate in it for fifteen minutes before baking, the flavors sink in better that way.
  • Cook the flatbreads one at a time in a very hot skillet so they puff slightly and stay soft in the middle.

The variations

  • Swap the sea bream for whole mackerel or bass, the cooking time stays roughly the same depending on the size of the fish.
  • For a vegetarian version, coat eggplant or zucchini slices with the same spice paste and roast them with the tomatoes.
  • For busy kids, just make the flatbreads and serve the fish simply with lemon, skipping the garlic paste.

What to serve it with

  • A cucumber and fresh mint salad
  • Plain white rice
  • Mint tea

Storage

The fish keeps for 1 day in the fridge in a sealed container, the flesh dries out quickly after that. The flatbreads keep for 2 days wrapped in a cloth or plastic wrap, and reheat in a few seconds in a skillet. This dish doesn't freeze well, neither the fish nor the flatbreads.

Questions about this dish

Can you use sea bream fillets instead of a whole fish?

Yes, but a whole fish keeps the flesh moister thanks to the bone. With fillets, cut the oven time down to about 12 minutes.

Can you make the spice paste ahead of time?

Yes, you can make it the day before and keep it in the fridge in a sealed container. Let it sit out a bit before coating the fish so it spreads more easily.

How do you know when the fish is cooked through?

The flesh should pull away easily from the center bone and turn opaque. If it still looks translucent near the bone, give it a few more minutes in the oven.

Can the flatbreads replace regular bread?

Yes, that's exactly their job here, soaking up the cooking juices. You can also use leftover ones with other saucy dishes later in the week.

How long does it take to make a Yemeni spiced fish with flatbreads?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a Yemeni spiced fish with flatbreads?

About 470 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Yemeni spiced fish with flatbreads cost?

About €4.20 per serving, or €16.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish, gluten, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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