Chermoula Baked Fish

About This Recipe

Chermoula is Morocco's essential herb-and-spice marinade, a blend of fresh cilantro and parsley, garlic, cumin, paprika, and lemon that's used most famously on fish -- both as a marinade before cooking and as a sauce spooned over afterward. This baked version marinates white fish fillets in chermoula, then roasts them alongside sliced tomatoes and peppers until the fish flakes easily and the vegetables have softened into a light sauce. The technique lies in the chermoula itself: fresh herbs, garlic, and spices are blended or finely chopped into a bright, loose paste, and the fish should marinate for at least 30 minutes so the flavors penetrate rather than just coating the surface. Baking uncovered at a moderate-high heat lets the top of the chermoula lightly char while the fish stays moist underneath, a technique commonly used at Moroccan coastal restaurants along the Atlantic coast. Served with crusty bread or couscous to soak up the herby pan juices, chermoula baked fish showcases Morocco's Atlantic coastal cooking tradition -- fresh, herb-forward, and built around the day's catch.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4white fish fillets(cod, snapper, or sea bass)
• 1 cupfresh cilantro(chopped)
• 0.5 cupfresh parsley(chopped)
• 5 clovesgarlic
• 1.5 tspground cumin
• 1 tsppaprika
• 0.5 tspcayenne pepper(optional)
• 0.33 cupolive oil
• 3 tbsplemon juice
• 1 tspsalt
• 1tomato(sliced)
• 1bell pepper(sliced)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the chermoula

   Blend cilantro, parsley, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne if using, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt into a thick, bright green paste.

2. 2

   Marinate

   Coat fish fillets with about two-thirds of the chermoula. Marinate 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 2 hours refrigerated.

3. 3

   Assemble

   Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Arrange tomato and pepper slices in a baking dish, place marinated fish on top.

4. 4

   Add remaining chermoula

   Spoon the remaining chermoula over the fish and vegetables.

5. 5

   Bake

   Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes until the fish flakes easily and the vegetables are tender.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve hot straight from the dish with crusty bread or couscous.

Variations

• •

  Grill the marinated fish instead of baking for a smokier flavor, about 4-5 minutes per side.

• •

  Add sliced potatoes to the baking dish under the fish for a more filling one-pan meal.

• •

  Use shrimp instead of fish fillets, reducing cook time to about 10 minutes.

Storage

Best eaten fresh the day it's cooked. Leftovers keep refrigerated up to 2 days and are good cold over salad greens.

Frequently Asked Questions