<span>Bassel Ibrahim, executive chef at Seven Sands, says: "My favourite ingredient to work with is our homemade Emirati bezar seasoning, a traditional blend of spices that features in many of our dishes. It's </span><span>unique to the UAE and the mix is a well-hidden secret that varies not only across the Emirates but also between families. At Seven Sands, we use a special blend of 18 whole spices, which create a fantastic aroma when roasted and blended together. It is great for subtly enhancing a dish without diminishing the original flavour, such as in this jisheed recipe. </span> <span>“This is not widely known, but shark meat is very popular in Emirati cuisine, with its lovely flavour and flaky consistency. In this traditional recipe, dried lemon and lime impart a distinctive flavour, with the addition of bezar to give a pure, complex flavour to the fish. Then, as we say in the UAE, bel’afiah.”</span> <strong><span>Jisheed</span></strong> <span><em>Serves 10</em></span> <span><em>Ingredients for the dish</em></span> <span>500g basmati rice</span> <span>2kg baby shark fish</span> <span>100g Emirati bezar spice mix</span> <span>100g turmeric powder</span> <span>50g salt</span> <span>500ml corn oil</span> <span>500g onions, finely chopped</span> <span>500g green peppers, diced</span> <span>100g ginger, finely chopped</span> <span>100g garlic, finely chopped</span> <span>100g dried lime</span> <span>3 lemons, squeezed</span> <span><em>Ingredients for the sauce</em></span> <span>100ml corn oil</span> <span>400g green or red peppers, chopped</span> <span>400g tomatoes, chopped</span> <span>100g red onions, finely chopped</span> <span>50g garlic, chopped</span> <span>50g Emirati bezar mix</span> <span>5g salt</span> <span>100ml water</span> <span>200g Emirati ghee </span> <span><em>Method</em></span> <span>Boil the rice with a pinch of salt. Once cooked, strain the water and set to one side.</span> <span>While the rice is cooking, bring a large pan of water to boil and then reduce the heat to a slow simmer – add the shark fillet, bezar, turmeric and salt, and cook for 40 minutes, then remove the shark and shred the meat to small pieces.</span> <span>Meanwhile, heat the corn oil in a large frying pan, and add the onion, peppers, ginger, garlic and dried lime; sauté until golden in colour then add the cooked shark meat.</span> <span>Stir gently until you have a nice, soft texture then add the juice from the lemons. Remove from the heat and set to one side.</span> <span>To make the jisheed sauce, heat the corn oil in a pan and add all the ingredients except the water. Sauté for five minutes or until the ingredients start to caramelise, then add the water and seasoning to taste.</span> <span>Stir over a gentle heat until the mixture takes on the texture of a compote (if you have a blender, use to create a smooth consistency).</span> <span>To serve, place the rice on a serving dish and top with the shark mixture, then pour the sauce over the top and serve topped with Emirati ghee and prawns (optional).</span> ________________<br/> Read more: ________________
