Lake Huron Trout with Tamarind Khalta

Ingredients

The Fish

• About 2 lb trout*

The Khalta

• 2 tomatoes — 1 blended, 1 chopped
• ¼ tsp saffron
• 5–6 scallions, chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup parsley, chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1–2 Tbsp tamarind paste
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

To Finish

• 1–2 Tbsp pistachios, pounded
• Rice, cooked separately

Instructions

1. Blend the base. Put one tomato in the blender with the saffron and blend until smooth.
2. Build the khalta. Stir the blended tomato together with the chopped tomato, scallions, yellow pepper, jalapeño, garlic, parsley, olive oil and tamarind. Salt and pepper it well.
3. Top the fish. Pile all of the khalta over the fish, right to the edges.
4. Set up the grill. Lay the fish on a sheet of foil and poke holes through the foil. This is the whole trick — without the holes it steams instead of grills.
5. Grill. Cook until the fish is done and the flesh flakes easily.
6. Add the pistachios. Scatter the pounded pistachios over the khalta before the fish is done, so they toast into a crust without burning.
7. Serve. With rice alongside.

*Fish note: I use trout, but this works on any fish you like. Khalta just means a mixture — it is the topping, and it is the whole dish.