Fish Cakes In Chermoula Tomato Sauce Food

FISH CAKES IN CHERMOULA TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Lightly toast the cumin and coriander in a pan over medium high heat until fragrant and slightly darkened. Grind using a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle. Add the cilantro, parsley, serrano chili, garlic, ginger, and preserved lemon to a food processor. Pulse to dice the ingredients and gradually drizzle in the olive oil. Add the cumin, coriander, and the rest of the spices. Pulse until a chunky sauce is formed.
• Use a knife to chop the fish very finely, add to a medium sized mixing bowl. To the bowl, add the breadcrumbs, onion, fennel, paprika, chermoula, and eggs. Mix together well, use your hands to shape the mixture into 8 cakes.
• Heat a light layer of olive oil over medium high heat in a large frying pan. Add 4 of the cakes to the pan and sear on each side until browned. Repeat with the other 4 cakes. Remove from pan and set aside.
• Add more oil if the pan is dry, heat over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until the onions have begun to soften. Add the fennel, cook for another 8-10 minutes until everything has softened. Add the chermoula and sautée for another 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, ½ teaspoon salt, and some black pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Add more salt if needed.
• Gently place the cakes in the tomato sauce. Add about a cup of water to the pan, just enough to cover the cakes halfway. Cover the pan and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, until the cakes are firm but bouncy. Serve with more fennel fronds and chermoula.

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.

TOMATO CHERMOULA SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika and sauté until garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, cilantro, and parsley. Cook until tomatoes are juicy, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over medium heat, stirring frequently.)

FISH WITH CHERMOULA

Steps:

• FOR THE SAUCE:.
• Put the saffron into a small bowl; cover with 2 teaspoons very hot water.
• Cover tightly; let steep at least 20 minutes but preferably 2 hours.
• Put the garlic, cumin, coriander, salt and red pepper into a mortar; mash into a paste using a pestle.
• Spoon the paste into into a jar; stir in the lemon zest and juice. Add the cilantro and oil.
• Seal the jar; shake vigorously to emulsify. Adjust the salt to taste.
• Set aside 3 Tablespoons of the sauce to use as a marinade.
• Add the saffron/water to the remaining sauce (this will be served with the cooked fish); set aside.
• Refrigerate the sauce if it will not be used within 1 hour - remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving to bring to room temperature.
• FOR THE FISH:.
• Arrange the fish in a single layer in a nonreactive pan.
• Lightly season both sides of the fish with salt and black pepper.
• Spoon the reserved 3 tablespoons of marinade over both sides of the fish, using about 2 teaspoons per fillet.
• Let stand 10 minutes.
• Position an oven shelf so that the surface of the broiler pan is about 6 inches from the heat.
• Remove the broiler pan from the oven; preheat the broiler on high.
• Cover the broiler pan with foil; arrange the fish on the pan.
• Broil the fish until is is slightly undercooked or just done, 2 to 4 minutes per side, depending on personal taste and the thickness of the fish.
• Transfer the fish to a serving platter or plates; Spoon some of the sauce over the fish.
• Pass the remaining sauce at the table.
• WINE RECOMMENDATION:.
• Sauvignon Blanc.

SWORDFISH WITH CHERMOULA

Steps:

• Combine garlic, spices, herbs, oil, juice and rind in a large bowl; remove half the mixture and reserve. Place fish in bowl; toss to coat all over in remaining chermoulla. Cover fish mixture and reserved chermoulla separately; refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.
• Remove fish; discard marinade. Cook fish in large non stick frying pan until browned both sides and cooked as desired. Serve fish drizzled with reserved chermoulla.