Striped Bass Tagine with Charmoula Sauce This dish traditionally is cooked in a tagine, but an earthenware dish works fine. Chef Mourad Lahlou says it is best served with Moroccan bread and eaten with the fingers. CHARMOULA SAUCE 1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds 6 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves 4 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley leaves 1½ tablespoons chopped garlic 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon sweet paprika 1/4 teaspoon or more cayenne 1/4 teaspoon or more white pepper 1½ teaspoons salt FISH & VEGETABLES 1 striped bass (3 to 3½ pounds), or two 1½-pound fish, such as red snapper (see Note) 2 tablespoons tomato paste 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 4 tablespoons olive oil 2/3 cup water 1 red onion, peeled and very thinly sliced 1 pound red potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced 1 large yellow bell pepper, stemmed, deribbed and julienned 1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, deribbed and julienned 1 large green bell pepper, stemmed, deribbed and julienne 1 pound roma tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices 4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 to 2 lemons, thinly sliced To make the charmoula: Put the cumin seeds in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Toast for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Let cool for a few minutes, then grind in a spice mill. Combine the cilantro, parsley, garlic and vinegar in a mixing bowl; blend well. Add the lemon juice, ground cumin, paprika, cayenne, white pepper and salt. Mix well. Set aside. To prepare the fish: Scale the fish and clean its belly under cold water. Do not remove the head and tail. Dry with a clean kitchen towel. Using a sharp knife, score each side of the fish 3 times. Place in a nonreactive dish. Rub the fish inside and out with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the charmoula sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for at least 1 hour. While the fish is marinating, mix the rest of the charmoula sauce with the tomato paste, lemon juice, olive oil and water. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Choose a tagine or other earthenware dish large enough to hold the fish and vegetables. Layer the onion slices in the dish. Next, layer in the potatoes, then the bell peppers. Place the fish with its marinade on top of the peppers and arrange the sliced tomatoes around the fish. If using two smaller fish, see Note. Sprinkle the garlic over the fish and vegetables, then cover the fish with lemon slices to keep it moist while baking. Pour the charmoula sauce over all. Cover the baking dish with a lid (if using a tagine) or foil, place in the oven and bake for 90 minutes, until the potatoes and fish are almost done. Remove the baking dish from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 550 degrees. Uncover the baking dish. (If the fish is completely cooked, remove it carefully from the dish and keep it warm.) Return the baking dish to the oven and bake until the sauce has reduced and thickened to a pasta-sauce consistency. This can take from 15 to 25 minutes depending on how much juice the vegetables released during the first phase of cooking. Once out of the oven, return the fish to the dish if you have removed it and let rest for 15 minutes before serving. The fish and vegetables will not get cold because the earthenware dish will keep hot long after it comes out of the oven. Serves 6 to 8. Note: If you are using 2 smaller fish, you will need to bake the layered vegetables halfway before adding the fish. Layer in the vegetables, add half of the sauce, cover and bake for 45 minutes. Add the fish, tomatoes, garlic, lemon slices and the remaining sauce. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Then continue with the recipe to thicken the sauce. By Mourad Lahlou, chef and co-owner of Aziza restaurant, special to the San Francisco Chronicle, January 30, 2002 middle eastern recipe index christina m k al-sudairy subscribe!