Iraqi Masgouf (Oven-Roasted Version)
Iraq's national fish dish, butterflied and coated in a tangy tamarind and tomato marinade, adapted from the open fire to a home oven.
Masgouf is closely tied to the Tigris River, where it was traditionally made with freshly caught carp, split open and slow-roasted upright around an open wood fire until the skin blistered and the flesh turned smoky and tender. That fire-side cooking is hard to reproduce indoors, but the marinade is the real signature of the dish, and it translates to a home oven very well.
Tamarind is doing the heavy lifting in that marinade — its sourness balances the richness of the fish in a way lemon alone doesn’t quite manage — so it’s worth seeking out real tamarind paste rather than substituting vinegar.
If you can grill outdoors, this marinade also works beautifully over charcoal: cook it flesh-side down first to sear, then flip carefully onto the skin side to finish, which gets you closer to the original fire-roasted version.
Ingredients
- 2 lb whole carp or sea bream, butterflied — ask your fishmonger to butterfly it from the back
- 3 tbsp tamarind paste
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, grated
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- to taste salt and black pepper
Method
- Prepare the fish
Rinse the butterflied fish and pat it completely dry. Lay it skin-side down, flesh open, on a foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Mix the marinade
Whisk together the tamarind paste, tomato paste, olive oil, garlic, grated onion, curry powder, turmeric, lemon juice, salt and pepper until you have a thick, spreadable paste.
- Marinate
Coat the exposed flesh generously with the marinade, working it into every crevice with a brush or your hands. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to absorb the flavor.
- Roast
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Roast the fish on the middle rack for 40–45 minutes, until the flesh is fully opaque and tender and the edges have started to caramelize.
- Char the crust
For the smoky, blistered edge that defines masgouf cooked over an open fire, switch the oven to broil for the final 4–5 minutes and watch closely so it colors without burning.
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