Chraime
Chraime is a Jewish national dish with white fish and vegetables, which is cooked for the whole family. The recipe is attributed to the Libyan Jews. The kind of fish does not really matter, but it should always be fish with white flesh.
Ingredients
- 1 whole cod, cut into steaks
- 1-2 carrots
- 1 onion
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 teaspoon of spicy paprika
- 4 tomatoes
- Olive oil
- 2 peppers
- 1 chili pepper
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Fresh parsley
- 1 cup of fish broth
- 4 sprigs of thyme
Description
Chraime was often cooked before the Sabbath because it can be eaten hot or cold. The fish can vary - from the Nile pike to grouper everything goes. More important is the way of preparation.
Every cook has his own Chraime recipe. There is no single, correct recipe for this dish. However, you can always argue about taste - especially when it comes to the Maghreb kitchen.
This dish arrived in the kitchen of the Sephardic Jews with the Marranos (forcibly baptized Jews from Spain and Portugal), who took part in Columbus' expeditions and brought the tomato from the New to the Old World.
Steamed fish with vegetables became popular in the countries of the former USSR. It could be found in every cookbook and was served on Thursdays (fish day) in every working-class canteen.
