israelilibyan-jewishfishtomatospicypescatarianskillet

Dag BaSil

Name: Dag BaSil
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Israeli
Ingredients: 400 g white fish fillets, skinless and boneless; 4 g fine salt; 1 g black pepper; 15 ml lemon juice; 30 ml olive oil; 5 cloves (20 g) garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 4 g caraway seeds; 2 g ground cumin; 20 g tomato paste; 300 g ripe tomatoes, grated or finely chopped; 80 ml water; 1 small (10 g) red chili, finely chopped; 4 g sweet paprika; 3 g fine salt; 15 g fresh coriander, roughly chopped; 1 tsp (2 g) lemon zest; 2 wedges lemon wedges

Dag BaSil is tender white fish gently poached in a vivid, spicy tomato sauce scented with garlic, caraway, cumin, and fresh coriander. The result is bright, warming, and deeply savory, with enough sauce to spoon over bread or grains.

30 min

2 servings

394 kcal

Israeli

Ingredients

Fish and seasoning

400 gwhite fish fillets, skinless and boneless
4 gfine salt
1 gblack pepper
15 mllemon juice

Spicy tomato sauce

30 mlolive oil
5 cloves (20 g)garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 gcaraway seeds
2 gground cumin
20 gtomato paste
300 gripe tomatoes, grated or finely chopped
80 mlwater
1 small (10 g)red chili, finely chopped
4 gsweet paprika
3 gfine salt

Finish and garnish

15 gfresh coriander, roughly chopped
1 tsp (2 g)lemon zest
2 wedgeslemon wedges

Instructions

1
Pat the white fish fillets dry, then season them on both sides with fine salt, black pepper, and lemon juice. Set aside while you build the sauce; this brief seasoning time lightly firms the fish and helps it stay flavorful.
2
Heat a wide saute pan or skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the sliced garlic and caraway seeds and cook for 30-60 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned; burnt garlic will make the sauce bitter.
3
Stir in the ground cumin, tomato paste, grated tomatoes, water, chopped red chili, sweet paprika, and fine salt. Bring to a lively simmer, then cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes lose their raw taste and the sauce thickens slightly. The sauce should be loose enough to cradle the fish, not dry.
4
Lower the heat to medium-low and nestle the seasoned fish fillets into the sauce in a single layer. Spoon some sauce over the tops, cover the pan, and simmer gently for 6-8 minutes, depending on thickness, until the fish is just opaque and flakes easily with light pressure. Avoid vigorous boiling so the fillets stay intact.
5
Uncover and scatter over the chopped coriander and lemon zest. Cook for 30 seconds more to release the herb aroma, then remove from the heat and let the pan stand for 2 minutes so the sauce settles around the fish.
6
Serve the fish hot with plenty of sauce and lemon wedges alongside for squeezing at the table.

Nutrition per serving

394 kcal

Calories

40g

Protein

11g

Carbs

21g

Fat

Fiber

Notes

•Firm white fish such as cod, haddock, halibut, sea bream, or hake work well; choose fillets about 2-3 cm thick for even cooking.
•If your tomatoes are not very sweet, add an extra 5-10 ml water and cook the sauce 1-2 minutes longer to round out the flavor naturally.
•For a more traditional spicy profile, keep the chili seeds in; for gentler heat, remove them before chopping.
•This is excellent served with challah, couscous, rice, or simply boiled potatoes to catch the sauce.

Background

Dag BaSil is a beloved Israeli fish dish strongly associated with the cooking of Libyan Jews, who brought their robust chile-and-spice fish stews to Israel. Over time it became a staple on Shabbat tables and for festive meals, especially in homes where spicy tomato-based fish dishes are a family tradition.

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