Our weekly Yalla Eat! Instagram Takeover Chef Series features Arab American chefs demonstrating delectable recipes on our Instagram Stories. Tune in on Instagram to join in, and check out previous recipes on our Instagram highlights or here.

Ingredients:

For the fish:
1 10 oz whole cleaned branzino
Olive oil
Harissa paste
Sliced lemon (optional)
Salt and pepper

For the tabeekha:
1 cup olive oil
3 cups San Marzano canned tomatoes with liquid
2 cups white beans (I like Gigante)
1.5 tablespoons tomato paste
1 red onion, sliced
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 serrano or jalapeno Pepper (sliced)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon caraway seed
1 teaspoon kabsa mix
2 cups chopped cilantro

For the zhoug (emulsify all ingredients together):
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch parsley
2 sliced seranno or jalapeno peppers
2 cups olive oil
1 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cardamom
4 cloves garlic
Salt

Garnish:
1/4 sliced onion
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste

Mahmoud Elbarasi brings his passion for communicating between cultures to his signature cuisine, inspired by his North African roots and Southern upbringing. Raised in Kentucky by an American mother and Libyan father, Elbarasi’s culture fusion resonates in his dishes, as does his passion for the history of cuisine and its ability to bring people together. Known for balancing intense flavors, Elbarasi consistently exposes his patrons to the unexpected, while also fearlessly promoting a nose to tail approach to cuisine. His cooking can be found at The Coronet in the historic Barrio Viejo neighborhood of Tucson, Arizona, where he serves as Executive Chef.