Turkish cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Palamut Pilakisi

Istanbul autumn dish: bonito slices braised lukewarm with onions, carrots, and plenty of olive oil.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 800 g bonito (sliced)
• 3 onions
• 3 carrots
• 2 potatoes
• 6 garlic cloves
• 150 ml olive oil
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bunch parsley
• 2 lemons
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Rinse the bonito slices, pat dry, salt both sides, drizzle with the juice of half a lemon, and chill for 15 min.
2. Cut the onions into half-rings, the carrots into slices, and the potatoes into thick cubes; leave the garlic cloves whole and dice the tomatoes.
3. Heat the olive oil in a wide pot and sauté the onions, carrots, and garlic over gentle heat for 10–12 min. until the onions smell sweetly fragrant but are still pale.
4. Add the tomatoes, potatoes, sugar, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and 250 ml hot water, and let simmer covered for 20 min.
5. Lay the fish slices side by side on the vegetables, cover, and cook over very gentle heat for 15 min. until the flesh near the center bone flakes easily; only swirl the pot, never stir.
6. Remove the bay leaves, let cool to lukewarm, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve with the remaining lemon wedges.