I’d
like to introduce you to my new friend, chermoula. Though we met scarcely two
and a half weeks ago, we have become fast friends. We do everything
together. Or, at least, I hope we will soon.
Chermoula,
or charmoula, is an herb sauce or marinade used in various North African
cuisines. It varies from region to region in its exact composition, but a
typical Moroccan preparation uses parsley. This is the kind I first tried at a
little Moroccan restaurant in upstate New York. It came on a colorful plate,
surrounded by warm, toasted triangles of pita bread. For an unassuming green
sauce, it packs a lot of flavor. It is wonderfully fresh from the herbs, bright
from lemon juice, and earthy from cumin and other spices. It was my favorite
dish of the evening, despite trying many other wonderful things. Now that I
know how easy it is to make at home, it may become a permanent resident of my
refrigerator.
Chermoula
is typically served with fish or meat and also goes great with fresh bread or
roasted vegetables. I tried roasting diced potatoes in chermoula. In
retrospect, it might have been even better to roast the potatoes on their own
(diced, with olive oil and salt in a 425 degree oven) and then put the sauce
on, but it took restraint to stop eating them even the way I did it.
Fun
Fact: Parsley and cilantro, along with other leafy greens, are rich in vitamin
K. This vitamin is essential for making blood-clotting proteins in the body.
Vitamin K deficiency is rare, however, because certain bacteria in your
intestines produce it. Babies are usually injected with vitamin K at birth as a
precaution because they have not yet developed as many intestinal bacteria.
Chermoula
Adapted very minimally from
NYT Cooking
2
teaspoons cumin seeds
½
teaspoon coriander seeds
2
cups parsley (medium-large stems removed), about 1-2 bunches
1½
cups cilantro (stems mostly removed), about 1 bunch
3
large cloves garlic
1/3
cup extra virgin olive oil
¼
cup fresh lemon juice
½
teaspoon salt, more to taste
1
teaspoon paprika
1/8
teaspoon cayenne pepper
Toast
the cumin and coriander seeds together in a small skillet over medium heat,
tossing/stirring occasionally until fragrant and slightly darkened. Let cool,
then grind in a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder. Set aside.
Peel
and halve the garlic cloves. Add the parsley, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, and
lemon juice to a food processor or blender or tall narrow vessel (if using
immersion blender). Chop/blend until the herbs and garlic are well chopped and
incorporated into the lemon juice and oil. Add the remaining ingredients and
reserved spices, and continue to chop until the mixture has reached a smooth
paste-like consistency. Add additional salt, lemon, or garlic to taste.
