Fish Marinade Chermoula Recipes

Steps:

• Pound all ingredients together in a large mortar and pestle or buzz in a food processor. You want a rough-textured paste. Note: I use all the coriander stems.
• Chermoula will keep several days in the fridge.

Steps:

• For the chermoula: Combine the saffron and hot water in a small bowl and let sit for 10 minutes to bloom. Heat the canola oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Cook the ancho, coriander, cumin and chile de arbol for 1 minute. Add the saffron and its soaking water. Remove from the heat.
• Whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and garlic-saffron mixture in a medium bowl. Mix in the bell peppers, tomatoes, mint leaves and cilantro. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld, or refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.
• For the grilled white fish: Heat a charcoal grill for direct grilling at medium-high heat. Brush both sides of the halibut with the canola oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the halibut until golden brown and charred on both sides and cooked to medium or well done, about 10 minutes each side.
• Carefully transfer the halibut to a platter and top with the chermoula immediately. Let the halibut rest for 5 minutes before serving, to allow flavors to sink in.

Steps:

• Season the fish with salt and pepper. In a large baking dish combine the fish with half the chermoula and toss together until the fish is coated. If the chermoula is thick it may be easier to spread it onto the fish with a spatula. Refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes while you preheat the broiler or prepare a grill.
• If using a broiler, line a sheet pan with foil and brush the foil with olive oil, or oil a shallow baking dish. Place the fish in the pan in a single layer. If desired drizzle on a little more olive oil or lemon juice. Place under the broiler, close to the heat (about 2 1/2 inches below) and broil 5 minutes. Check the fish; the timing depends on how thick the fillets are; figure on 4 to 5 minutes per 1/2 inch of thickness. It is done when it is opaque and you can pull it apart with a fork. Using a spatula, transfer the fish from the sheet pan or baking dish to a platter or to individual plates. Tip the juices in the pan over the fish fillets. Pass the remaining chermoula and lemon wedges at the table.

Steps:

• In food processor or blender combine cilantro, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, crushed red pepper, olive oil, salt, and cayenne to a fine paste. Adjust the consistency by adding more olive oil; the marinade should be fairly thick.

Steps:

• Make chermoula:
• In a mortar with a pestle, an electric spice grinder, or a cleaned coffee grinder grind fine coriander seeds, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, and saffron. Transfer spice mixture to a small bowl and stir in remaining chermoula ingredients.
• Lightly oil a shallow baking dish just large enough to hold fillets in one layer. Arrange fillets, seasoned with salt and pepper, in dish and top evenly with chermoula. Chill fillets, covered 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large heavy skillet melt butter in water over moderately high heat. Add fennel and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Cook fennel, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 10 minutes more, and season with salt and pepper.
• While fennel is cooking, bake chilled fish in oven until it just flakes, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Serve each fillet on a bed of fennel and garnish with fennel fronds.

Steps:

• Place the garlic, cumin, saffron, olive oil, lemon juice, chili and salt in a mortar and pound with a pestle. Or alternatively put all the above in a food processor and whiz until finely chopped, I have little baby processor which makes this a doddle.
• Add the fresh cilantro and mix in or give an additional quick whiz to combine.
• Spread the mixture over the fish of your choice and leave to marinade for at least 15 minutes.

Steps:

• Chop the cilantro and parsley leaves together to a very fine mince. You should have 1 cup of minced herbs. Transfer to a saucepan.
• Crush the garlic with the sea salt in a mortar, or using the back of a spoon in a small bowl, to make a paste. Stir in the cumin, dried pepper, paprika, olive oil, and lemon juice. Add to the saucepan with the herbs and mix well.
• Have the fish steaks ready in a baking dish large enough to hold them all in one layer.
• Set the herb mixture over medium-low heat and warm until it is very hot, but not boiling. Taste and adjust the seasoning. When it is the way you want it, pour the warm marinade over the fish steaks. Cover with plastic and set aside for an hour or so.
• When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Remove the plastic wrap and transfer the fish with their marinade to the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the fish is done, basting every 5 minutes or so with the marinade.
• Serve immediately, spooning a little of the marinade over each serving.

Steps:

• In food processor or blender combine cilantro, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, crushed red pepper, olive oil, salt, and cayenne to a fine paste.
• Adjust the consistency by adding more olive oil; the marinade should be fairly thick.

Steps:

• Tip all the ingredients for the marinade into a food processor and blitz until you have a rough paste. Sit the salmon in a dish and rub the marinade all over the flesh. Leave for 1 hr or overnight in the fridge.
• Heat the barbecue and fold a length of foil longer than the fish into a strip and sit the salmon on top, skin-side down. Using the ends of the foil, lift the fish onto the bars of the barbecue - if you have a kettle barbecue, place the lid on. Leave the fish for about 15 mins until it is just cooked through. Using the foil, carefully lift the fish onto a platter and scatter with coriander and chilli. Let everyone pull bits of the fish away, but leave the skin behind. Serve with a simple tomato, red onion and cumin seed salad.

Steps:

• Pound the ingredients for the filling together using a pestle and mortar. Make 3 diagonal incisions along both sides of each mackerel, then push in the filling. Chill for up to 2 hrs before cooking.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. For the chermoula, place the garlic, spices, lemon juice, coriander and a pinch of sea salt into a blender. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, blending.
• Brush the mackerel with a little olive oil on both sides, then place on a hot griddle or frying pan and sear for 2 mins on each side. Carefully transfer to an oven tray and bake for about 10 mins, or until the mackerel is cooked through. Drizzle with some of the chermoula and serve with the Carrot, olive & lemon couscous (recipe, below), lemon wedges and the remaining chermoula on the side.