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Baked Fish With Pomegranate Sauce
Isabella

Baked Fish With Pomegranate Sauce

This elegant baked fish is layered over caramelized onions and finished with a glossy, sweet-tart pomegranate sauce infused with warm spices and sesame oil. Moist, flaky fish meets bold Middle Eastern–inspired flavors in a dish that feels impressive yet approachable.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Onion Base
  • 4-5 tablespoons sesame oil divided
  • 2 large yellow onions sliced into ¼-inch rounds
  • 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • kosher salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fish
  • 2-3 pounds boneless fish fillets skin-on, such as striped bass, red snapper, or halibut
Pomegranate Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon amba or Dijon mustard
  • 0.5 teaspoon curry powder
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground sumac
Finishing and Serving
  • 1 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 0.5 cup flat-leaf parsley chopped or torn

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 205°C (400°F). Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, season lightly with salt, and cook for 18–20 minutes until soft and deeply golden.
  2. Transfer the caramelized onions to a 9×13-inch baking dish and spread into an even layer.
  3. Place the fish fillets skin side down on top of the onions. Season evenly with salt and black pepper.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining sesame oil, pomegranate molasses, honey, mustard, curry powder, cumin, and sumac. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
  5. Brush the sauce generously over the fish, allowing some to drip onto the onions.
  6. Bake for 22–25 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
  7. Remove from the oven and scatter pomegranate seeds and parsley over the top. Serve hot with the saucy onions spooned over each portion.

Notes

This dish works well with many firm white fish. The onions and sauce can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated, then baked with the fish just before serving.