Iraqi-Style Masgouf

Clean a 1.2 kg carp, gut it and cut it open along the back without separating the belly, so the fish opens out flat into a single skin-on fillet. Pat dry with a paper towel.

Rub the fish with salt to taste and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature; this brief salting will firm up the flesh.

For the sauce, finely chop the onion, tomatoes and garlic. Heat 15 ml olive oil in a sauté pan, sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, add the tomatoes and cook for another 8 minutes.

Stir the tamarind paste into 100 ml water, pour it into the vegetables, add the turmeric and the juice of half a lemon, and simmer for 5 minutes until you have a thick, tangy sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in the finely chopped parsley.

Brush the skin and flesh of the carp with the remaining olive oil (15 ml) and fix the fish onto a grill rack, flesh side toward the heat. Traditionally, cook it standing upright beside a wood fire rather than directly over the flames, for about 45–60 minutes, until the flesh turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

When the fish is nearly done, spread the hot tamarind sauce over the flesh and return it to the fire for another 10–15 minutes to let the sauce caramelize. For a home oven, place the fish on a rack flesh side up and bake at 180°C for 35–45 minutes, then finish under the broiler for 5 minutes with the sauce.

Serve the masgouf hot with the remaining lemon; in the Iraqi tradition, it's eaten with bread, raw onion and pickled vegetables.