Kabab Samak

Juice from ? lemon
? cup extra virgin olive oil
3 medium-size onions, 1 very finely chopped and 2 quartered and layers separated
2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin seeds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 pounds firm-fleshed fish steaks or fillets, such as swordfish, marlin, shark, or sea bass, skin removed and cubed
Eight 10-inch-long wooden skewers
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 20 to 24 sqare pieces
18 bay leaves, soaked in tepid water to cover for 30 minutes (no need to soak if using fresh)
Lemon wedges for garnish
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, 1 chopped onion, cumin, salt, and pepper in a large ceramic or glass baking dish and marinate the fish cubes for 4 to 6 hours, covered, in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.
Skewer the fish, putting a piece of quartered onion and a piece of green pepper between the pieces of fish and using 2 to 3 bay leaves per skewer. Continue in this manner until all the ingredients are skewered.
Prepare a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill on high for 20 minutes. Grill the skewered fish for 10 to 12 minutes brushing with the marinade and turning once. Serve garnished with lemon wedges and parsley.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Samak Baladi (Country-Style Fish)

Pure or virgin olive oil for the griddle
2 cups wheat bran
2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin seeds
4 whole fish (gray mullet, red snapper, grouper, redfish, yellowtail, 1? to 2 pounds each), scaled (if desired), gutted, and cleaned, with heads and tails left on
? cup white vinegar
Juice from ? lemon
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seeds
? teaspoon paprika
? teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1? cups hot water

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, 1 chopped onion, cumin, salt, and pepper in a large ceramic or glass baking dish and marinate the fish cubes for 4 to 6 hours, covered, in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.
Skewer the fish, putting a piece of quartered onion and a piece of green pepper between the pieces of fish and using 2 to 3 bay leaves per skewer. Continue in this manner until all the ingredients are skewered.
Prepare a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill on high for 20 minutes. Grill the skewered fish for 10 to 12 minutes brushing with the marinade and turning once. Serve garnished with lemon wedges and parsley.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Ali Baba's Abadian Spiced Shrimp

2 pounds large shrimp, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced or chopped
2 tablespoons capers
1 cup tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Juice of 2 fresh lemons
Salt and pepper, to taste
In a large, nonstick skillet, over medium-to-high heat, saut? garlic with olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and saut? for 2 more minutes.

Add remaining ingredients to mixture of shrimp and garlic. Cook until shrimp is just tender. Remove from heat. Serve over Basmati rice.

(Warning: Shrimp cooks quickly so be careful not to over cook.)

Serves 4.