Turkish cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Stuffed Bonito

Large bonito stuffed with onions, pine nuts and currants, baked whole in its own skin.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 1 large bonito (approx. 2 kg)
• 3 onions
• 60 g pine nuts
• 60 g currants
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1 organic lemon
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Gut the bonito, cut around the skin at the base of the head and carefully peel it off the body like a stocking without tearing it; set the skin with the tail piece aside.
2. Remove the flesh from the bones, break it up roughly and dry-fry it in a pan without fat over medium heat for 5 min. until the remaining liquid evaporates.
3. Finely dice the onions and braise in 4 tbsp olive oil over low heat for 10–12 min. until golden; add the pine nuts and toast for 2 min. until fragrant.
4. Mix in the currants, cinnamon, allspice, chopped parsley and the fish flesh, season generously with salt and pepper, and let the filling cool to lukewarm.
5. Loosely fill the skin with the stuffing – it should regain the fish's original shape but not be tightly packed – sew the opening shut with kitchen string and brush the roll with the remaining olive oil.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 40–45 min. until the skin is golden brown and taut; let cool completely, cut into finger-thick slices and serve with lemon wedges.