Sayadiyeh fish and rice

Soak saffron in three tablespoons of warm water. Dry-toast the cumin in a small pan thirty seconds until aromatic. The toasted cumin gives sayadiyeh its smoky depth.

Pat fish dry, season with salt and pepper. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil, sear two minutes per side until golden but still raw inside. Set aside.

In the same pan add eight hundred millilitres of water, bay leaf, toasted cumin, saffron infusion, salt. Simmer twenty minutes for a richly aromatic dark broth.

Strain the broth. Rinse the rice, cook with six hundred forty millilitres of broth and one tablespoon of olive oil, covered on low heat, eighteen minutes. Rest four.

Heat the remaining olive oil over medium-low heat, add the pine nuts, stir constantly four minutes until golden. They burn quickly; lift them out the moment they colour.

Slip the seared fish onto the rice, cover and steam six minutes to finish cooking. Plate, scatter pine nuts. The dark rice and white fish make the visual signature.