Name: Panfried Sea Bass with Harissa & Rose
Yield: Serves 2 to 4
Ingredients: 3 tbsp harissa paste (store-bought or see recipe ); 1 tsp ground cumin; 4 sea bass fillets, about 1 pound / 450 g in total, skinned and with pin bones removed; all-purpose flour, for dusting; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 medium onions, finely chopped; 6 1/2 tbsp / 100 ml red wine vinegar; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; scant 1 cup / 200 ml water; 1 1/2 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp rose water; scant 1/2 cup / 60 g currants (optional); 2 tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro (optional); 2 tsp small dried edible rose petals; salt and freshly ground black pepper

Photo by Jonathan Lovekin

This dish originates from Bizerte, the northernmost city in Africa. It is sweet and spicy and beautifully aromatic. It is adapted from a recipe kindly given to us by Rafram Hadad. Serve it as a main course with some plain rice or couscous and something green, like sautéed spinach or Swiss chard. Dried rose petals are available in Middle Eastern stores and also online.

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