RICE WITH FISH

                                             RICE WITH FISH


Turkey is settled down on Anatolia Peninsula. Three sides of my country surrounded by four seas, Black Sea, Marmara Sea, Aegean Sea and Mediterranean Sea.
All seas are different from each other by qualitatively. Of course type of fish is different too. Each area has its own cuisine.
The Black Sea coasts curling besides mountains covered with green forests, tea, hazelnut, tobacco and corn fields.
At Black Sea region, regional cuisine is traditionally reliant on fish. Most known fish is Hamsi -Black Sea Anchovy ( UK- spart, Us smelt) .They cook all varieties of this fish....like pickled , stuffed , patty, bread , grilled, fried, omelet....Also there is a myth about hamsi  jam which I have never eaten.
Today's recipe is Hamsi with rice. It is delicious and also visually nice. You can serve it as a main dish.

Ingredients
1kg (2 lb) Hamsi- smelt-spart or any small oily fish
2 cups short grain rice
3 tablespoons butter or 1/2 cup olive oil
2 medium onions
2 tablespoons dill
2 tablespoons dried mint
2 teaspoons allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons currants
2 tablespoons pine nuts
salt and black pepper
3 cups hot water

Preparation:
Place rice in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon salt and cover with hot water. Stand it 30min. Drain the rice and wash cold running water until the water is clear.
Remove fish head and backbones. Wash and drain. Flatten them by opening from the center. Season with 1 teaspoon salt.
Chop the onions well. Melt the butter or heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add onion and fry 3min add pine nuts. When the pine nuts turn light brown add the rice. Stir 3 min more. Add allspice, dried mint, currants, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Add 2 cups hot water. Let it boil and simmer on low heat until all water absorbed.. The rice must be half cooked. Add chopped dill .
Well grease an oven proof round dish, place 2/3 the fish , shiny side must be down. Lay down rice, cover with rest of the fish. Add rest of hot water (1 cup)
Cook in the oven 160C- 325 F 20min. Turn the dish over in a serving dish and serve hot.