Chermoula Food

CHERMOULA

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients in your K-Mojo DigiMaster's chopper attachment.
• Give the ingredients a blitz. If the mixture is too thick, add a splash of water to loosen it up.
• Use as a marinade for out of this world's lamb chops or as a refreshing sauce with vegetables or grilled fish.

CHERMOULA

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.

GRILLED WHITE FISH WITH CHERMOULA

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.

CHERMOULA

Steps:

• Coarsely chop the cilantro and parsley. A scissors is a good tool for this; point it tip down in the measuring cup and cut the leaves. Then place them in a food processor and chop very fine, or chop on a cutting board. You should have 1 cup finely chopped herbs.
• Place the garlic and salt in a mortar and puree. Add a small handful of the chopped herbs, and gently but firmly grind until the herbs begin to dissolve. Add another handful. When all of the herbs have been mashed, work in the spices, 1/3 cup olive oil and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add more olive oil or salt if desired. Serve with grilled fish and/or vegetables, or with chicken.

FISH CHERMOULA

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.

CHERMOULA SAUCE

Steps:

• Place salt, garlic, paprika, cumin seeds, and cayenne or dried red pepper, if using, in a mortar and grind together using a pestle. Transfer mixture to a small bowl and stir in cilantro, parsley, oil, and lemon juice. Use immediately or store in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to 1 day.

BLENDER CHERMOULA SAUCE

Steps:

• Toast coriander and cumin seeds in a dry small skillet, tossing occasionally, until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool, then lightly crush with a heavy skillet.
• Purée toasted seeds, garlic, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, paprika, salt, and red pepper flakes in a blender until spices are ground and mixture is very smooth.
• Add cilantro, parsley, and mint; process until well combined but slightly textured.
• Do Ahead
• Sauce can be made 3 days ahead; chill in an airtight container.

CHERMOULA DRESSING

Steps:

• Put everything except the oil in a food processor and blend until smooth.
• With the machine running, slowly pour in the oil.
• Transfer to a bowl, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, then cover and refrigerate until required.

CHERMOULA PASTE

Steps:

• Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until you have a thick paste, adding more oil if necessary.

CHERMOULA SPICE

Steps:

• Mix garlic, paprika, chilli powder and ground cumin in a bowl
• drain the saffron and add to the bowl
• whisk in the olive oil, salt and pepper and the lemon zest and juice to form a smooth paste

ROAST PORK LOIN WITH CHERMOULA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. For the pork loin: Season generously with salt on all sides. Roughly chop thyme, rosemary leaves, sage, and garlic together so that they're combined. Set aside. Truss the pork loin for even cooking: Take five feet of butcher's twine; tie the twine around one end of the loin with a square knot, leaving the twine long on one end. Pass the twine under the loin about a half-inch down and bring it all the way around; tuck and tighten the string, closing the loop. Repeat until the entire pork loin is trussed. At the end, tie the two loose ends of the string together. Rub the herb/garlic mixture all over the pork.
• Slowly heat a shallow roasting pan over low heat. When pan is preheated, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and raise heat to medium. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the pork loin, fat side down, and roll it around to sear on all sides, 1-2 minutes per side. Add more oil as necessary. Place in the oven for 40 minutes, until a thermometer registers about 138 F in the thickest part of the meat.
• For the chermoula vinaigrette: Heat a dry pan over medium-high heat and add the peppercorn, coriander, cumin, and fennel seed. Toast the spices, shaking the pan to avoid burning, about 2 minutes. When the spices are fragrant, remove from heat and place in a food processor along with sumac, Aleppo pepper, lemon zest and juice, salt, and olive oil. Pulse to combine; consistency should be loose but still a bit crunchy with spices. Set aside.
• Check pork after 40 minutes to see that it registers about 138 degrees F; increase oven temperature to 425 F. Place the pork back in the oven and cook another 5 minutes.
• Pork is done when a thermometer registers 145 degrees F (the temperature will continue to rise to about 150 F as it rests). Meanwhile, finish the chermoula by coarsely chopping cilantro and parsley and adding it to the vinaigrette. Pour the pan drippings from the pork into the vinaigrette and stir to combine. After the pork has rested and come to temperature, cut the twine off and slice. Serve with chermoula vinaigrette on top.