Amira Basmati Rice with Chermoula Fish

What You Need

For the tomato rice:

• 300 g Amira Pure Basmati Rice
• 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
• 450 ml vegetable stock
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the Chermoula fish:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp preserved lemon skin, finely chopped
• 1.5 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
• 500 g skinless boneless white fish (cod, haddock or pollack), cut into portions
• a little olive oil to shallow fry

To garnish:

• 1 small bunch coriander, chopped
• lemon wedges

What To Do

1.

Rinse the Amira Basmati rice under running water and drain well. Tip into a bowl and stir through the tomatoes and vegetable stock. Set aside for 30 minutes.

2.

Whilst the rice is soaking, make the chermoula paste by mixing all the ingredients in a small bowl. Lay the fish on a plate and rub the chermoula all over. Cover and set aside in the fridge to marinate.

3.

Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion over a medium low heat for around 15 minutes until starting to soften and become lightly caramelized. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute before pouring in the soaked Indian Basmati rice and tomato mixture, stirring well. Season with a little salt and pepper and bring up to the boil, cover with a tight fitting lid or snuggly tucked piece of foil and boil for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, without removing the lid, and set the timer for 15 minutes. Remove the lid and fork through the rice, which should be perfectly cooked and there should be no liquid left. If it is still a touch wet, recover and leave for a further 5 minutes. Rest, covered, whilst you cook the fish.

4.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan, preferably a non stick one. When it is hot, add the fish fillets, cooking them without turning to allow a delicious crust develop, for 3 minutes on one side, then turn and cook for 2-3 minutes the other side. If your fish fillets are particularly thick you may need to cook a little longer.

5.

To serve, spoon the rice on plates and top with the fish. Garnish with a scattering of coriander and a squeeze of lemon juice.