AI-generated image
Fish buglama
Balıq buğlaması: Caspian fish steamed on onion, tomato and herbs
In Baku and the fishing villages of the Absheron peninsula, buglama is the gentlest way to cook Caspian fish such as sturgeon, kutum or mullet: thick steaks laid on a bed of onions, tomatoes and herbs in a covered pan and left to steam in their own juices, with no water added. The result is soft, moist fish in a light, fragrant broth, served with bread and a spoon of narsharab. Any firm white fish works. A common mistake is lifting the lid too often, which lets the steam out and leaves the fish half-cooked. Chef's tip: lay the onion thickly enough that the fish never touches the pan; it should cook in steam, not fry. It is done when the flesh is opaque and flakes when pressed.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the buglama
- 1 ¾ lb firm white fish steaks or thick filletssuch as hake, sea bass or sturgeon, skin on
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 onionssliced into rings
- 4 ripe tomatoessliced
- 3 cloves garlicsliced
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 lemonsliced
- 1 oz fresh coriander, dill and tarragonchopped
- 1 tsp sumac
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (6)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Season 1 ¾ lb firm white fish steaks or thick fillets with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and leave for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Spread 3 onions in a wide, heavy pan with a lid, drizzle with 2 tbsp sunflower oil and lay 4 ripe tomatoes, 3 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves and half of ½ oz fresh coriander, dill and tarragon on top.
Step 3: Put the fish on the vegetables, cover with 1 lemon slices and scatter with the rest of ½ oz fresh coriander, dill and tarragon.
Step 4: Cover tightly and cook over a low heat for 25–30 minutes, without lifting the lid for the first 20, until the fish is opaque all the way through and flakes when pressed with a fork. Common mistake: peeking; the steam escapes.
30 minStep 5: Sprinkle with 1 tsp sumac and serve from the pan with its juices.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fish buglama take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Singapore chilli crab
Chilli crab was first sold from a pushcart on the Kallang river in the 1950s and is now the dish visitors queue for along Singapore's East Coast seafood strip. Big mud crabs are cut up, wok-fried and simmered in a thick, sweet, tangy and gently hot sauce of chilli, tomato and garlic, which is then silked with beaten egg. Everyone eats with their hands and mops up the sauce with fried or steamed mantou buns. It is a weekend or celebration meal, messy and loud. Buy crabs live or freshly cooked the same day from a fishmonger you trust. Discard any live crab that doesn't move, smells of ammonia or has a cracked, leaking shell. The common mistake is boiling the sauce after adding the egg, which scrambles it into lumps; pour it in a thin stream over a low heat. Chef's tip: ask the fishmonger to clean and quarter the crab for you, and crack each claw lightly with the back of a cleaver so the sauce soaks in.
Singaporean
Rhode Island clam cakes
At beach shacks along Narragansett Bay and in Galilee, clam cakes are bought by the paper bag, half a dozen at a time, to dunk in a cup of clear clam chowder. They are not patties but craggy, golden fritters, crisp outside and soft inside, studded with chopped quahog clams. Chef's tip: use the clam juice as part of the liquid; it puts the sea flavour into every bite of batter.
American
Tunisian octopus salad
Fishermen of the Kerkennah islands, off Sfax, still catch octopus in clay pots laid on the shallow seabed, and in winter the season's catch turns up in harbour cafés and home kitchens as this simple salad. The octopus is simmered slowly until tender, cooled in its broth, then sliced and tossed with red onion, plenty of parsley, lemon juice and good olive oil, with a little harissa if you like. It is light, clean and briny, eaten as a starter with bread or on a summer table of salads and grilled fish. Buy octopus from a reputable fishmonger; frozen and thawed octopus is often more tender than fresh. A common mistake is boiling the octopus at a rolling boil, which makes it rubbery; keep it at a gentle simmer until a knife slides in easily. Chef's tip: let the cooked octopus cool in its cooking liquid for 20 minutes before slicing; it stays juicy rather than tightening up.
Tunisian