Iraq's national dish · Grill or oven
Masgouf Recipe (Iraqi Grilled Fish)
Butterfly flat. Tangy rub. Skin side to heat.
Recipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchenMasgouf is Iraq's national dish: a whole fish, traditionally carp, split open along the back, rubbed with salt, turmeric and tamarind, and cooked by an open fire. At home it sticks, breaks or dries out. The fix is butterflying it flat, cooking skin-side down on a hot grill or in a very hot oven, and never turning it more than once.
The 3 laws of masgouf
Why this recipe works
Whole fish
Even thickness cooks evenly.
Plain salt
Tang balances the rich fish.
Constant turning
The skin protects the flesh.
Shopping and prep list
Ingredients
Fish
Topping
The NineFoods masgouf gauge
Is the fish cooked?
Press the thickest part with a fork.
Method · 3 stages
Step by step
Butterfly and rub
- Open the fish flat along the back, remove the guts and pat dry.
- Rub with salt, turmeric, pepper, tamarind and oil.
Cook skin-side down
- Cook skin-side to the heat on an oiled grill or tray.
- Turn once only. Use the gauge above.
Topping
- Spread tomatoes and onions over the flesh side and grill until soft.
Chef's troubleshooter
What went wrong? Pick the symptom
Why
Grill not hot or oiled.
Fix next time
Heat the grill well, oil the grates and wait for the skin to crisp.
Why
Turned too often.
Fix next time
Turn once at most; use a fish basket.
Why
Overcooked thin edges.
Fix next time
Use a thicker fish and pull at the first flake.
Why
Oven only.
Fix next time
Finish under a hot grill or add a charcoal smoke.
Swap smart
Ingredient roles and substitutes
| Ingredient | Job in the dish | Swap with |
|---|---|---|
| Carp | Traditional fish | Sea bass, snapper or trout |
| Tamarind | Tang | Lemon juice and a little sugar |
| Open fire | Smoke | Very hot oven plus grill finish |
| Amba | Iraqi mango sauce | Mango chutney |
After the meal
Serve, store, reheat
Serve with
Flatbread (samoon), pickles, amba and salad.
Store
Best eaten fresh; fridge 1 day.
Reheat
Warm in a hot oven 5 minutes; do not microwave.
How we tested this recipe
Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio
Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.
- Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 4 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
- Every one of the 3 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
- The doneness check (is the fish cooked) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
- Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.
Keep cooking
Related recipes and guides
Quick answers
Masgouf FAQ
What is masgouf?
A whole fish butterflied and slow-grilled, Iraq's national dish.
Which fish is used for masgouf?
Traditionally river carp; sea bass or snapper work well at home.
Can I make masgouf in the oven?
Yes, at 240 C skin-side down, then finish under the grill.
What is amba?
A tangy mango pickle sauce often served with Iraqi food.