Chermoula

Chermoula is Morocco's essential herb marinade and sauce, used to season fish, chicken, and vegetables before grilling or roasting. Born in coastal cities like Essaouira and Agadir where Atlantic fish landed daily, it combines fresh cilantro and parsley with warm spices, lemon, and olive oil into a vivid green paste that doubles as a marinade and finishing sauce. No Moroccan seafood feast begins without it.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 700g (1.5 lb) firm white fish fillets (sea bass or cod), cut into large pieces
• 40g (1.5 oz / 1 large bunch) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
• 20g (0.75 oz / half bunch) fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 0.5 tsp ground coriander
• 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper
• Juice of 1 lemon (about 60ml / 4 tbsp)
• 80ml (1/3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• Lemon wedges and warm flatbread, to serve

Instructions

1. Blitz cilantro, parsley, garlic, cumin, paprika, coriander, cayenne, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt in a food processor until a rough paste forms, about 30 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning.
2. Coat fish pieces thoroughly in two-thirds of the chermoula. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours.
3. Heat a grill pan or heavy skillet over high heat until smoking. Shake excess marinade from fish and cook 3–4 minutes per side until charred at the edges and just cooked through.
4. Arrange on a platter and spoon remaining fresh chermoula over the top. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and flatbread.

Cook's Notes: Chermoula keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days — the flavour deepens overnight. For a smoother sauce, blend longer and strain through a fine sieve. It also works beautifully as a stuffing: slash the fish and pack the paste into the cuts before roasting whole at 200°C (400°F) for 20–25 minutes.