Every element of this dish from Lugma by Noor Murad, but it’s the date pickle that truly brings everything together. It lifts the whole plate and we can definitely see it making repeat appearances alongside all sorts of other dishes.
Wine Suggestion: We’ve been exploring the fresher, lighter reds from north-western Spain, a joyful match for spiced or richly flavoured fish like this. A recent gem is the Finca Millara Lagariza, a youthful, fruit forward and light bodied Mencía that we served lightly chilled. A brilliant pairing.
Fish with rice and date pickle – serves 4
FOR THE FISH:
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp paprika
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- seeds from 15 cardamom pods
- 600g skinless hake fillet, cut into 6cm pieces
- 1½ tbsp melted ghee
- ½ lemon
FOR THE RICE:
- 2 tbsp melted ghee
- 5 cardamom pods
- 5 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 fresh bay leaves
- 150g date molasses
- ½ tsp loosely packed saffron threads, roughly crushed
- 300g basmati rice, washed until the water runs clear, then soaked for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours, then drained well
FOR THE DATE PICKLE:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp Aleppo chilli flakes
- 120g Medjool dates, pitted and thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 30g red onion, thinly sliced
- 10g coriander, leaves and soft stems picked
Use a pestle and mortar to finely crush the cumin seeds and cardamom seeds.
Mix all the ground spices for the fish in a large bowl with ½ tsp salt and plenty of black pepper. Add the fish and mix well to coat, then put in the fridge until needed.
For the rice, add the ghee, whole spices and bay leaves to a medium, lidded saucepan and place over a medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring now and then, until fragrant.
Stir in the molasses then pour in 620ml of hot water, the saffron and ¾ tsp salt. Bring to the boil, then stir in the rice. Bring up to a fast boil for exactly 5 minutes, without stirring, until the grains have started to plump up and have absorbed at least half of the water. Cover with a clean tea towel followed by the lid, securing the ends of the tea towel over the lid. Turn the heat to low and cook, without touching, for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the pickle. Add the oil and fennel seeds to a small frying pan over a medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant, then stir in the chilli and a small pinch of salt and pour into a medium heatproof bowl. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the dates, vinegar and onion. Set aside to pickle.
When the rice is read, remove the lid and tea towel. Allow the rice to cool slightly while you fry the fish.
Heat the ghee in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned and cooked through. Squeeze over the lemon juice.
Transfer the rice to a large platter and top with the fish and any fat in the pan. Stir the coriander into the pickle and serve alongside.
(Original recipe from Lugma by Noor Murad, Quadrille, 2025.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 
