Chermoula

Ingredients

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 0.5 bunches fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 4 cloves fresh garlic
• 45 ml fresh lemon juice
• 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 2 pinches ground black pepper

Method

1. Rinse the cilantro and flat-leaf parsley in cool water, then dry them very thoroughly in a clean cloth or salad spinner. Chermoula should remain dense and fragrant, not watery.
2. Remove the thickest herb stems, keep the thin and tender ones, then chop the herbs with a knife until finely cut but still textured. The right result is a moist, even green mass, not a smooth purée.
3. Peel the garlic, remove the germ if it is pronounced, then crush it in a mortar with the salt. Work until you have a glossy, slightly sticky paste, a sign that the garlic has released its juices.
4. Add the cumin, sweet paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper to the mortar. Mix by rubbing against the sides until the spices color the garlic paste evenly and release a warm, smoky aroma.
5. Add the chopped herbs to the garlic and spice paste. Crush without fully grinding them: the traditional texture should remain thick and green, speckled with red, with small pieces of herbs visible.
6. Gradually pour in the lemon juice while mixing. The sauce should loosen while retaining body; it should coat the spoon and fall slowly, not run like a vinaigrette.
7. Add the olive oil in a thin stream, stirring with the spoon or pestle. The chermoula becomes glossy, supple, and cohesive, but it should not be emulsified like mayonnaise.
8. Taste and adjust the balance: it should be distinctly herbal and lemony, just salty enough, with clear spice warmth but no burning heat. If it tastes flat, work the paste a little longer against the mortar rather than adding salt immediately.
9. Let it rest at a cool room temperature while the garlic, lemon, and spices infuse the oil. The color stays bright and the aroma becomes rounder when the sauce is ready.
10. Serve with grilled, fried, or oven-cooked fish, or use as a short marinade before cooking. Stir before serving, as the herbs and spices naturally settle at the bottom.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

203.8 kcal

Protein

1.12 g

Carbohydrate

4.28 g

Fat

20.82 g

Fibre

1.59 g

Calcium

32.73 mg

Iron

2.32 mg

Magnesium

16.03 mg