Seafood Dishes

Samaki wa kupaka is the name for a delicious Tanzanian dish consisting of fish that is grilled over charcoal, then served with coconut sauce. The fish is usually marinated in garlic, ginger, salt, oil, and lime before being placed on the grill, while the sauce consists of tamarind paste, tomato paste, chili peppers, curry powder, garlic, and coconut milk. It is recommended to serve samaki wa kupaka with side dishes such as plain boiled rice or spinach.

Samaki wa kupaka

Egypt

Samak mashwi is an Egyptian dish that is also quite popular in Lebanon. It consists of a whole baked fish which is then lavishly garnished with onion, garlic, herbs, spices,and lemon slices. Before baking, the fish should be cleaned, and its head is left untouched apart from the eyes, which should be removed. It is typically seasoned with salt and olive oil. Samak mashwi is especially popular as a party dish, prepared for various social events and during Ramadan.

Samak mashwi

Samak mesharmal is a traditional dish that hails from the coastal regions of Saudi Arabia, particularly along the Red Sea coast. The fish, typically a locally caught variety like grouper or snapper, is marinated in a blend of Saudi spices, including cumin, coriander, and turmeric, mixed with fresh herbs and lemon juice. The marination process infuses the fish with deep flavors before it is either grilled or slow-cooked in a clay pot, preserving its tenderness and moisture. Mesharmal fish is often served with fragrant Saudi rice, known as sayadiah, or with traditional flatbreads, making it a staple in many households.
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Samak mesharmal

Saudi Arabia

Originating from the southern coastal areas of Saudi Arabia, particularly the Asir and Jazan regions, samak mifa is a dish that involves grilling the fish over an open flame, a cooking method deeply rooted in the Bedouin tradition. Before grilling, the fish is marinated in a zesty mix of local spices, garlic, and lemon juice, which not only enhances the taste but also pays homage to the region's agricultural heritage, where citrus fruits are abundantly grown. The grilling process gives the fish a slightly smoky flavor, characteristic of outdoor cooking in the desert and mountainous terrains of Saudi Arabia. Mifa fish is typically served with rice or mifa bread.

Samak mifa

This Singaporean and Malaysian classic dish couples grilled stingray and spicy sambal paste&mdash;the chili pepper-based sauce that may incorporate various other elements such as lime juice, shrimp paste, ginger, vinegar, or sugar. The thin stingray fillets are usually coated with sambal and are then grilled and served on a banana leaf. The whole dish is traditionally accompanied by lime wedges, onions, or sliced chili peppers, and there is also a special dipping sauce on the side. Apart from Singapore, the dish is also enjoyed in Malaysia where it is known as ikan pari bakar.

Sambal Stingray

Lebanon

Samke harra is a traditional dish that means spicy fish when translated from Arabic. The dish is a specialty of El-Mina and it's usually prepared for special occasions. It consists of a baked fish that served with nuts and a sauce made from tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and spices such as coriander, cumin, chili pepper flakes, and cardamom. It's recommended to use snapper fish for samke harra, which is served warm or at room temperature.

Samke harra

Spain

Sancocho canario is a traditional dish originating from the Canary Islands. It's usually made with a combination of salted fish such as cherne, stoker, or sea bass, along with potatoes, sweet potatoes, and olive oil. When the potatoes and the sweet potatoes are nearly done, the desalted fish that's been cut into pieces is added to the pot and boiled for a short while. The fish is served with the potatoes and the sweet potatoes, and the combination is often accompanied by a squirt of Canarian mojo rojo sauce and slices of gofio (gofio flour, salt, sugar, and water). If desired, sancocho canario can be garnished with chopped parsley. The dish is traditionally eaten on Good Friday.

Sancocho canario

Salty, sticky, and chewy, sannakji is a South Korean dish consisting of raw baby octopus that is chopped and traditionally served drizzled with sesame oil. Interestingly, as the dish is served instantly after chopping, some of the pieces are still in motion, twitching on the plate. The dish can be commonly found at Korean street food stalls, and it is recommended to pair it with ssamjang and green tea. A popular Korean movie with a cult following called Oldboy (2003, dir. Park Chan-wook) depicted the dish in one of its most disturbing scenes. Just make sure to chew sannakji while eating, as there have been a few cases in which the octopus grasped onto the diner's esophagus, choking them to death in the process.

Sannakji

Saramură is an authentic Romanian dish, typically made with grilled fish that is briefly simmered in vegetable broth. The fish is usually cooked on a griddle pan or a skillet with heated sea salt, and then transferred to another skillet with boiling water, chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, fresh herbs, garlic, and lemon juice. Once cooked, the fish is transferred to a plate, drizzled with vegetable sauce, and traditionally served alongisde mamaliga. Saramură prepared with grilled fish is a typical dish in the region of Dobrogea, while in some parts of Romania, this dish is also prepared with grilled meat such as chicken wings.

Saramură

Croatia

&Scaron;aran u ra&scaron;ljama is a traditional dish that is a specialty of the Croatian region of Baranja. It consists of a large carp that is placed in a divining rod and slowly cooked over a wood fire, giving it a unique smokiness and aroma. About ten minutes before the carp is fully cooked, it is sprinkled with salt and ground red paprika for extra flavor. It is recommended to serve the carp with spring onions, a potato salad, and a glass of white wine on the side.

Šaran u rašljama

Italy

Sarde con origano e pane is a traditional fish dish originating from Basilicata. The dish is usually made with a combination of sardines, breadcrumbs, pecorino, oregano, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. The breadcrumbs are mixed with grated pecorino, minced garlic, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper. The mixture is placed in a greased baking tray, and the sardines are placed on top of the mixture. The process is repeated in alternating layers until the sardines are used up. The dish is baked in the oven until the sardines turn golden. Before serving, the dish is typically sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley, and it's often accompanied by bread on the side.

Sarde con origano e pane

Moroccan stuffed sardines or sardine mzeouej (married sardines) is a traditional fish dish. The dish is usually made by butterflying sardine fillets and stuffing them with chermoula, a concoction made with a combination of garlic, paprika, hot peppers, cumin, salt, olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, and coriander. The sardines are rubbed with chermoula, coated with flour, and fried in hot oil on both sides. Once done, the fried stuffed sardines are served warm or at room temperature, often accompanied by lemon wedges, harissa, or fresh salads based on tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. The dish is also very popular as a street food item, especially in coastal areas.

Sardine mzeouej

Sardine ripiene alla pugliese is a traditional fish dish originating from Puglia. The dish consists of stuffed sardines, and it's usually made with a combination of cleaned and filleted sardines, eggs, breadcrumbs, olive oil, parsley, and pecorino cheese. The mixture of these ingredients is placed on each sardine, and the sardines are then folded and closed, arranged in a baking pan, sprinkled with olive oil, and baked for about fifteen minutes before serving.

Sardine ripiene alla pugliese

Grilled sardines are a simple, traditional seafood dish especially common in coastal Mediterranean areas and during summer months, when fresh sardines are plentiful. The dish is straightforward and emphasizes the natural flavors of the sardines: they are typically marinated in a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper, and salt (although a variety of spices and herbs can also be added, depending on the region) before being grilled over a charcoal fire. The dish is usually served as an appetizer or a part of a meze, along with bread, boiled potatoes, saut&eacute;ed vegetables, or salads, and is best paired with lighter, sweeter local white wines.

Sardinhas assadas

Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy consisting of thinly sliced raw fish or shellfish (or even meat) served with soy sauce and other ingredients such as wasabi or ginger paste. Most common ingredients used in the preparation of sashimi are tuna, squid, scallop, whale, and octopus. Sashimi can be cut in different ways to alter the appearance of the dish, from extremely thin to very thick slices of fish. It is usually served as an appetizer, decorated with shiso leaves, cucumbers, and seaweed (wakame and tosaka-nori). There is a tradition in Japan to serve an odd number of pieces of sashimi on a plate called mukozuke, because it is considered bad luck to have an even number of ingredients. Sashimi is often confused with another popular Japanese dish, sushi, a dish made with raw fish and vinegared rice. Sashimi and sushi also share a common history, as both dishes were originally prepared during the 8th century in Southeast Asia.

Sashimi

Indonesia

Sate kerang is a traditional dish originating from Surabaya, East Java. The dish consists of marinated mussels that are placed on bamboo skewers and grilled to perfection. The marinade usually consists of shallots, garlic, candlenuts, turmeric, ginger, coriander, grated coconut, chili peppers, oil, lime leaves, lemongrass, brown sugar, sweet soy sauce, and salt. About five or six mussels are then placed on bamboo skewers and grilled until golden brown. Once done, sate kerang is often served with spicy soy sauce on the side.

Sate kerang

Sate udang is a traditional dish that's also popular in Singapore. The dish consists of marinated prawns that are placed on bamboo skewers and grilled to perfection. The paste for the marinade usually consists of oil, lime juice, coriander, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, ginger, chili peppers, turmeric, dark sugar, soy sauce, and kecap manis. Once skewered, the prawns are grilled on both sides until just cooked through. Sate udang is often served with scallions, cucumbers, and pineapple pieces. If desired, coconut milk can also be added to the marinade before cooking.

Sate udang

Saumon &agrave; l'oseille is a French dish consisting of a salmon fillet with sorrel in a creamy fish sauce. It's made with salmon, dry white wine, fish stock, cr&egrave;me fra&icirc;che, sorrel leaves, lemon, butter, shallots, and a bit of Marsala. The shallots are saut&eacute;ed in butter, then deglazed with Marsala. The fish stock and white wine are added to the sauce along with the cream. The salmon is fried, then combined with the sauce, which is enriched with a drizzle of lemon juice and mixed with sorrel. When served, the sauce is poured into a deep plate, while the salmon is carefully arranged on top. The dish was created by a French chef Pierre Troisgros in the 1960s, and today it's often served in bistros.

Saumon à l'oseille

Sbroscia or zuppa di lago is a traditional fish soup originating from the Bolsena area. The soup is usually made with a combination of fish from the Bolsena lake, mint, potatoes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, stale bread, hot peppers, olive oil, and salt. This old dish was most commonly made by fishermen, and the lake's water is traditionally used to prepare the fish soup. The fish used in the soup are often sliced tench, eel, pike, and perch. The soup is cooked in earthenware vessels until everything is fully cooked and the consistency becomes dense. Sbroscia is typically served in deep bowls and it's accompanied by slices of toasted stale bread.

Sbroscia

France

Scallops &agrave; la Proven&ccedil;al is a traditional dish originating from Provence. The dish is usually made with a combination of scallops, butter, garlic, olive oil, onions, tomatoes, oil, parsley, and breadcrumbs. The onions are saut&eacute;ed in olive oil and mixed with diced and chopped tomatoes until the sauce becomes thick. The scallops are fried in oil on both sides over high heat, removed from the pan, and drained on paper towels. The garlic, parsley, and breadcrumbs are fried in the same oil. The dish is served by layering scallops over a dollop of tomato sauce, and everything is then topped with the garlic mixture and more chopped parsley.