Baked Fish With Pomegranate Sauce

Recipe from Oded Halahmy

Adapted by Joan Nathan

Updated October 11, 2023

  • Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
1 hour
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(502)
Comments
Read comments

Assembled over a bed of caramelized onions, brushed with a tangy pomegranate sauce and baked until flaky, this stunning Iraqi fish recipe comes from the artist Oded Halahmy, who was born in Baghdad and has explored pomegranates in his artwork and at his Pomegranate Gallery, which has locations in New York City and Israel. The dish is fit for company but can be enjoyed any time. Amba, a pickled mango condiment, can be used, or substitute Dijon mustard if you can’t find amba. You can also swap in tart tamarind sauce or sweet date jam for the pomegranate molasses. You can even grill a whole fish rather than buying fillets, brushing the pomegranate sauce on the skin before and after cooking. The dish is then finished with pomegranate seeds, scattered, alongside parsley, over the fish. Serve with rice, bulgur or any cooked grain. —Joan Nathan

Featured in: A Love of Pomegranates, and a Perfect Baked Fish for Rosh Hashana

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

    or to print this recipe.

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

  • 4 to 5 tablespoons sesame oil

  • 2 large yellow onions, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds

  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

  • 2 to 3 pounds boneless, skin-on striped bass, red snapper or halibut fillets (or any good, thick fleshy fillets; see Tip)

  • 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • 1 tablespoon amba or Dijon mustard

  • ½ teaspoon curry powder

  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin

  • ½ teaspoon ground sumac

  • 1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds

  • ½ cup torn or chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

  • Cooked rice, bulgur or other grains (optional), for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 to 8 servings)

22 grams carbs; 113 milligrams cholesterol; 301 calories; 4 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 12 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 579 milligrams sodium; 27 grams protein; 11 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium and sauté the onions and garlic slowly, stirring occasionally, until the onions are almost caramelized, about 20 minutes. Season with a bit of salt and transfer the onions to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish in an even layer. Lay the fish fillets on top of the onions, skin side down. Sprinkle salt over the fish (about 1 ½ teaspoons for 3 pounds) and rub it into the flesh.

  2. Step 2

    Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons sesame oil with the pomegranate molasses, honey, amba or mustard, curry powder, cumin and sumac; season to taste with salt and pepper. Brush the sauce over the fish.

  3. Step 3

    Bake for 25 minutes (see Tip), until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily when pierced with a fork. Before serving, sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and parsley. Serve with rice, bulgur or other grains, if desired.

Tip

  • This baked fish recipe is flexible and accommodating — you can use large fillets to feed a crowd or smaller, individual pieces (about 6 ounces per person). If using smaller (or thinner) fillets, they’ll cook through faster, so you should check for doneness at the 20-minute mark.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
502 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

aidamom

Sesame oil seems like it would overpower all the other flavors. Would olive oil work here instead?

Sandy P.

Would this work with arctic char or salmon?

Joan Nathan

You can definitely use salmon or arctic char. You can get amba on line and at many Middle Eastern markets but Dijon mustard is a nice substitute. I imagine fig syrup would also be good. Such creativity…I love it!

Cat

This sauce is *fantastic*

Cat

outstanding sauce - I used whole grain mustard. sweet-tangy- I plan to use it on grilled meat as well.

Maria Peplowski

Caramelized the onions and made the sauce the day before serving. Easy peasy to assemble and cook for guests who loved it. I took the skin off the fresh wild halibut as it is very thick and tough and I couldn't see how putting it with the skin on would help with the flavouring. Served with olive oil mashed potatoes and local asparagus. Delicious! Had no curry so I used garam masala instead.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Credits

Adapted from Oded Halahmy

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.