Moroccan Salmon/Trout with Chermoula Sauce
Here's a surprisingly easy recipe for a weekday dinner or a special meal to impress guests. It's ready in minutes, and is delicious served with rice, mashed potatoes or grains, such as farro, bulgar wheat, kasha or quinoa. Slightly adapted from Zov: Recipes and Memories from the Heart (Zov's Publishing, 2004) by Israeli-Armenian-Iraqi-American chef Zov Karamardian.
Other fish dish options: Salmon with White Wine and Cream Sauce and Crispy Turmeric Trout or Salmon Fillets
Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients
6 salmon or trout fillets, or equivalent
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Moroccan spices (see recipe below)
3 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
Moroccan Spices
3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground allspice
Stir all ingredients in a small bowl to blend. Seal in a jar and refrigerate. Keeps for at least one week. Makes 3/4 cup.
Chermoula Sauce
2-4 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
1/4 cup chopped shallots, leeks or onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 lb. finely diced tomatoes (about 9 tomatoes)
3/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Moroccan spices (above)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Parsley or cilantro to garnish
Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sprinkle the fish fillets with ground pepper and salt.
Spread 1/3 cup of the Moroccan spices on a plate. Dredge the top and the bottom of the fillets in the spices.
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook the fish fillets in the pan until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Using a metal spatula, transfer the fillets to a rimmed baking pan. Bake in the oven until the fillets are just cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the charmoula sauce. In a saucepan, heat 2-4 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until just tender, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, lemon juice, parsley, Moroccan spices, salt and pepper. Sauté until the tomatoes release their juices, but they still retain their shape, about 1-3 minutes.
Place the fish fillets on a serving plate and spoon the charmoula sauce over. Garnish with parsley or cilantro, as desired.
Here's a surprisingly easy recipe for a weekday dinner or a special meal to impress guests. It's ready in minutes, and is delicious served with rice, mashed potatoes or grains, such as farro, bulgar wheat, kasha or quinoa. Slightly adapted from Zov: Recipes and Memories from the Heart (Zov's Publishing, 2004) by Israeli-Armenian-Iraqi-American chef Zov Karamardian.
Other fish dish options: Salmon with White Wine and Cream Sauce and Crispy Turmeric Trout or Salmon Fillets
Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients
6 salmon or trout fillets, or equivalent
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Moroccan spices (see recipe below)
3 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
Moroccan Spices
3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground allspice
Stir all ingredients in a small bowl to blend. Seal in a jar and refrigerate. Keeps for at least one week. Makes 3/4 cup.
Chermoula Sauce
2-4 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
1/4 cup chopped shallots, leeks or onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 lb. finely diced tomatoes (about 9 tomatoes)
3/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Moroccan spices (above)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Parsley or cilantro to garnish
Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sprinkle the fish fillets with ground pepper and salt.
Spread 1/3 cup of the Moroccan spices on a plate. Dredge the top and the bottom of the fillets in the spices.
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook the fish fillets in the pan until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Using a metal spatula, transfer the fillets to a rimmed baking pan. Bake in the oven until the fillets are just cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the charmoula sauce. In a saucepan, heat 2-4 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until just tender, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, lemon juice, parsley, Moroccan spices, salt and pepper. Sauté until the tomatoes release their juices, but they still retain their shape, about 1-3 minutes.
Place the fish fillets on a serving plate and spoon the charmoula sauce over. Garnish with parsley or cilantro, as desired.