Khmesa — Moroccan-Style Fish Head with Chickpeas

Khmesa—Moroccan-style fish head with chickpeas. We received the recipe for khmesa from a Moroccan man from Tzfat. He said that his family used to make khmesa for lunch on Friday, before Shabbat. We usually make it for Rosh Hashanah, so we have a separate dish for the fish head. It should be noted that Ashkenazim love this dish just as much as Moroccans do:)

Soak large chickpeas overnight, inspect them, and boil until cooked. Then place onions sliced into half rings, the fish head, tomatoes sliced into thin rounds, the cooked chickpeas, garlic, salt, spices, and hot green pepper (seeded, chopped, to taste, optional, for those who like spicy food) in a small pot. Pour in a little olive oil and add the water in which the chickpeas were cooked. The liquid should cover the chickpeas, and the fish head should also be submerged in the water.

Simmer for 1,5 hours. Add the cilantro (kusbara) during the last half hour.

Shanah tovah u’metukah! May we be the head and not the tail!