Sayadieh el samak is one of my favorite seafood dishes. The first time I tasted it was in Port Said city while visiting some families. It was a very hot casserole coming out of the oven, it looked amazing! I could see the hint of the baked brownish fish under the tomato sauce. Some people bake the fish and others like me fry the fish before putting it in the oven. I know it is on the heavier side but I love the flour crust on the fish being fried then covered with the tomato sauce. There are 4 main steps:

• Fish marination
• Sauce preparation
• Frying the fish
• Baking the dish

Marination ingredients
8 white fish fillets (I am using Tilapia)
1 red onion
5 garlic cloves
1/2 bell pepper
1/2 tomato
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon seafood spices (if you have any, optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 limes juices
salt and pepper

Wash the fish then dry it with paper towel.
Add the marination over the fish.

Sauce ingredients
1 sliced red onion
2 chopped fresh tomatoes
5 garlic cloves
1/2 a bell peppers diced
1 can tomato paste
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper

Sauce Directions
In a hot pan, add the olive oil.
Add the onions and stir until it softens.
Using the kitchen mixer, tomatoes and garlic.
Add the bell peppers to the onion and stir it.
Add the tomato mix and the tomato paste then stir together.
Add some water like 2 cups of a bit more as shown in picture below.
Add the spices, salt, pepper and sugar.
Bring to boil then lower the heat and cover for 25 minutes and let it simmer.

Frying ingredients 

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup Japanese bread crumbs (optional for extra crispiness)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper

Frying directions 

Get the fish ready to be fried. Mix the flour with the baking powder, add a little bit of salt and pepper. Mix the eggs and milk together. Get 3 plates: one for the flour mix, one for the bread crumbs and one to put the battered fish on.
Cover the fish with some flour then dip into eggs milk mixture then flour again. For extra crispness, cover with Japanese bread crumbs. In hot oil, fry the fish.

Baking directions 

Put some of the tomato sauce in an oven tray.
Place the fried fish on the sauce.
Add more sauce on the fish and garnish with thinly sliced tomatoes and some jalapeño.
Bake for 10 minutes or until the sauce bubbles and the tomatoes are roasted.