Chermoula
Chermoula is a Moroccan blend of herbs and spices that is both a marinade and a sauce. Chopped coriander and parsley with garlic, toasted cumin, sweet paprika, chilli, lemon juice and olive oil — fragrant, tangy and slightly hot. In Morocco it is used above all to marinate fish before baking or grilling, but it is very good with chicken, prawns and roasted vegetables too. Traditionally the herbs are chopped by knife, not blended — chermoula should be slightly textured, not smooth.
Your own work in that: 5 min.
- Toasting the cumin 3 min
- Chopping the herbs 10 min
- Mixing 5 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneToast the cumin
Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan 2–3 minutes until fragrant, then grind them in a mortar.
Ingredients: 1 bunch coriander · ½ bunch parsley · 3 cloves garlic · 1½ tsp cumin seeds · 1½ tsp sweet paprika · ½ tsp chilli flakes · 1 pcs lemon (juice and grated zest) · 100 ml olive oil · 1 tsp salt
Toasted cumin — a deeper aroma.Chop the herbs
Finely chop the coriander and parsley, thin stalks and all.
Ingredients: 1 bunch coriander · ½ bunch parsley · 3 cloves garlic · 1½ tsp cumin seeds · 1½ tsp sweet paprika · ½ tsp chilli flakes · 1 pcs lemon (juice and grated zest) · 100 ml olive oil · 1 tsp salt
By knife, finely — not a smooth paste.Crush the garlic
Chop the garlic and crush it with the salt into a paste with the flat of a knife.
Ingredients: 1 bunch coriander · ½ bunch parsley · 3 cloves garlic · 1½ tsp cumin seeds · 1½ tsp sweet paprika · ½ tsp chilli flakes · 1 pcs lemon (juice and grated zest) · 100 ml olive oil · 1 tsp salt
Mix the spices
In a bowl mix the garlic with the cumin, paprika, chilli, lemon juice and zest.
Ingredients: 1 bunch coriander · ½ bunch parsley · 3 cloves garlic · 1½ tsp cumin seeds · 1½ tsp sweet paprika · ½ tsp chilli flakes · 1 pcs lemon (juice and grated zest) · 100 ml olive oil · 1 tsp salt
Add herbs and oil
Add the herbs and olive oil and mix. Chermoula should be thick, slightly textured and fragrant.
Ingredients: 1 bunch coriander · ½ bunch parsley · 3 cloves garlic · 1½ tsp cumin seeds · 1½ tsp sweet paprika · ½ tsp chilli flakes · 1 pcs lemon (juice and grated zest) · 100 ml olive oil · 1 tsp salt
Taste
Taste and adjust with salt or lemon — for marinating fish it should be clearly salty and sour.
Ingredients: 1 bunch coriander · ½ bunch parsley · 3 cloves garlic · 1½ tsp cumin seeds · 1½ tsp sweet paprika · ½ tsp chilli flakes · 1 pcs lemon (juice and grated zest) · 100 ml olive oil · 1 tsp salt
Marinate the fish
Set aside about half the chermoula to serve. Rub the rest over about 600 g of fish fillets or prawns and refrigerate: fish for 30–60 minutes, prawns for 15–30 minutes. No longer — the lemon juice starts to “cook” the flesh and it turns dry once cooked.
Ingredients: 600 g white fish fillets (such as cod) or peeled prawns (optional)
30–60 minutes in the fridge — no longer.Use as a sauce
Serve the reserved chermoula as a sauce with the cooked fish, chicken or vegetables. Never use marinade that has held raw fish or meat as a sauce — bacteria from the raw food have got into it.
Ingredients: 1 bunch coriander · ½ bunch parsley · 3 cloves garlic · 1½ tsp cumin seeds · 1½ tsp sweet paprika · ½ tsp chilli flakes · 1 pcs lemon (juice and grated zest) · 100 ml olive oil · 1 tsp salt
Before you start
With preserved lemon
Chopped preserved lemon rind is sometimes added to chermoula — it gives a salty, intensely citrus flavour. Use less salt then. Preserved lemons are sold in Middle Eastern shops and online.
What to serve it with
Besides fish, chermoula is excellent with roast cauliflower, potatoes, carrots and grilled chicken.
Storage
Keep chermoula of fresh herbs and raw garlic in oil in the fridge only, for at most 3 days, in a closed jar. Never leave it at room temperature — garlic and herbs under oil carry a risk of botulism. Freeze any surplus in an ice cube tray.