From Tarek's father · A story from the cookbook
Baba's Fish Day
A tribute to Cairo fish-market mornings, overflowing family tables and the love of seafood passed from father to son.
✧ From the Bazaar cookbook ✧
Pan-roasted cod with prawns and mussels
Fish day was the one day of the week my dad insisted on going to the market with my mother. The fish market in Cairo was a sight. The sellers sat on the ground in the street with huge wicker baskets full of fish and ice, the catch from all three of Egypt's waters: the Nile, the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.
My dad had to inspect every fish and every handful of prawns. And he always bought too much, which is why every fish lunch was a feast. The whole family gathered around the table.
Today, whenever I shop for fish, I catch myself doing exactly what he did: checking every fish, and buying far too much. And I smile, because I can still hear his voice.
My love of fish comes from my dad's love of fish. This dish is my tribute to him and to that special day every week.
— Tarek Thoma
Method
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