Are you craving fish? If so, try my Mahi Zaferani – Seabream Fillet in Saffron. On the Persian coast, fresh fish from the sea is grilled and served pure, with just a few herbs and bitter oranges to add flavor. I’ve taken it up a notch by preparing my tasty seabream fillets in a mouth-watering Saffron Sauce, as I’m a big saffron lover. The aromatic saffron sauce is made from saffron, lemon juice, and garlic, enhancing the fish’s flavor without overpowering it. This recipe is simple, delicious, and quick to prepare in a pan. Doesn’t it look delightful? I guarantee it tastes just as good as it looks!

Watch my how to prepare Video on Instagram 

MAHI ZAFERANI – SEA BREAM FIILLET IN SAFFRON ماهی زعفرانی

First, I marinate the sea bream fillets for half an hour with red onion, lemon juice, and pepper. The flesh of the sea bream is firm, which makes it perfect for frying. To prevent my fried sea bream fillets from sticking to the pan and to ensure they stay juicy, I coat them in a mixture of flour and spices, including one teaspoon of ground lime powder, salt, pepper, and three tablespoons of flour.
Now, it takes less than 10 minutes to fry the seabream on both sides and simmer them in the spicy saffron sauce. Can you smell the aromatic scent of saffron filling your kitchen? Maximum taste with minimum effort! This recipe is also perfect for impressing guests with pretty much any type of firm fish.

MAHI ZAFERANI FOR NOROOZ 

Christmas is behind us, and I’m already gearing up for Norooz, our Persian New Year. That’s just how it goes when you have two different backgrounds. Norooz is about a month away, and for this very special day, we love to prepare Sabzi Polo ba Mahi – herbal rice with fish. My recipe is perfect for this festive occasion. After Norooz, we spend 13 days visiting family and relatives. On the 13th and final day (Sizdah be dar), we venture into nature, and for this day, we whip up my Mahi Zaferani recipe.

WHY EAT FISH FOR NOROOZ?

There are several myths surrounding this topic. Some Persians believe that eating rice and fish on the eve or first day of Nowruz will bring wealth and happiness into your life. Sabzi polo (herbal rice) – is a symbol of the renewal of nature. Fish – in general, symbolizes protection, luck, and wealth.
For many years now, I’ve been living in Darmstadt in Hesse, and here we eat “Rippche mit Kraut” (ribs with cabbage) on New Year’s Day, following the motto “Sauerkraut on New Year’s Day brings you money all year round.” Each country has its unique customs and traditions.

FISH AND SAFFRON IN TEB-E SONATI

In traditional Iranian medicine, known as Teb-e Sonati, fish has a cold, and saffron a warm temperament. This balance of temperaments creates a dish that’s suitable for everyone. Nutrition experts recommend eating fish once or twice a week due to its health benefits. I regularly include fish in my diet.
Sea bream, also called gilthead bream, is known for its aromatic, firm, white meat and is a lean fish. Fresh sea bream is rich in nutrients like protein and iodine. It’s also a good source of vitamins, particularly vitamins B12 and D, and minerals such as zinc, selenium, iodine, sodium, magnesium, and potassium. Additionally, it contains valuable omega-3 fatty acids, although not as much as fatty fish. Still, it’s enough to support heart and circulatory health.

INGREDIENTS MAHI ZAFERANI – SEA BREAM FILLET IN SAFFRON ماهی زعفرانی

INGREDIENTS MARINADE

4 sea bream fillets

1 red onion

1 lemon, juice of it

ground pepper

INGREDIENTS FLOUR-SPICE MIXTURE

1 tsp ground lime powder*

salt, pepper

3 Tbsp Flour

INGREDIENTS SAFFRON SAUCE

1/2 tsp saffron threads*

1 lemon

1 clove of garlic

INGREDIENTS FRESH HERBS

1 stem fresh mint

1 stem fresh thyme

1 stem fresh sage

PREPARATION MAHI ZAFERANI – SEA BREAM FILLET IN SAFFRON SAUCE ماهی زعفرانی

PREPARATION MARINADE

Cut red onion into rings, mix with the juice of one lemon and black pepper. Marinate the sea bream fillets in this mixture for maximum half an hour.

PREPARATION SAFFRON SAUCE

Grind saffron, pour 50 ml of boiling water over it, cover and leave to cool. After about 10 minutes, press a clove of garlic through a press and and add it. Squeeze the lemon and add the lemon juice as well. Mix everything well and set aside.

PREPARATION FLOUR-SPICE MIXTURE

Grind all the spices finely and mix well with the flour.

PREPARATION FISH

Remove the sea bream fillets from the marinade, pat them well, coat them with the flour-spice mixture and fry them in a little bit of oil in a pan* for 5 minutes. Add marinade, saffron sauce and fresh herbs, bring to a boil once, then turn off the heat and let the fish cook for no more than 3 minutes. Higher heat on the stove would only harm it. Serve immediately.

My favorite way to serve it is with rice.

BEFARMAYID!

Susan

The items marked with * are affiliate links, referral links. If you buy through this link, I get a small commission. The price stays the same for you and you can easily support my efforts. A big thank you ♥

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Have you cooked this or maybe another delicious recipe of mine? Feel free to leave me a comment below. If you tag your picture on Instagram with @labsalliebe  and use the hashtag #labsalliebe, I won’t miss a post and will be happy to leave you a comment as well. Can’t wait to see your creations.

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