Chef Haim Cohen Reimagines Matbucha as a Delicate Fish Consommé

Chef Haim Cohen has created an innovative dish that transforms the traditional Middle Eastern salad, matbucha, into a sophisticated starter. Instead of serving matbucha alongside challah, Cohen utilizes its strained liquid as a rich consommé for thinly sliced raw sea fish.

The preparation involves roasting tomatoes, bell peppers, and garlic, then cooking them down to create a concentrated matbucha. The liquid is then strained, and this flavorful broth is used to surround delicate slices of raw sea bass. The dish is finished with pickled lemon and chili for a burst of flavor without the heaviness of traditional matbucha.

Ingredients for the matbucha base include ten medium red tomatoes, two red bell peppers, ten cloves of garlic, half a green chili, olive oil, and salt. For the sashimi component, 500 grams of filleted sea fish, 100 grams of chopped pickled lemon, one green chili diced, two tablespoons of olive oil, one teaspoon of crushed dried chili, and salt are used.

The process begins with roasting the vegetables, followed by cooking them into a concentrated matbucha. The matbucha is then strained, and the resulting liquid is reserved. The fish is sliced thinly, seasoned, and arranged on a plate, then drizzled with the matbucha liquid and garnished with diced chili and pickled lemon.