Broiled Fish With Chermoula Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is fish Chermoula made of? ›

Chermoula is a blend of lemon, fresh herbs, and spices that is perfect accompaniment to fish and seafood. We pair this flavorful sauce with mild and flaky tilapia fillets and a light shaved cucumber salad that fills you up without weighing you down.

Opt for firm-fleshed varieties from Sea to Table such as Wild King Salmon, Northwest Pacific Halibut, or Pacific Black Cod. These fish hold up well to the high heat of the broiler and won't fall apart during cooking. Plus, they're rich in flavor and packed with essential nutrients.

Chermoula or charmoula, pronounced sher-moo-lah, is a popular North African condiment or sauce made of fresh herbs such as parsley and cilantro, with garlic, citrus and warm spices.

Chermoula (Berber: tacermult or tacermilt, Arabic: شرمولة) or charmoula is a marinade and relish used in Algerian, Libyan, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking. It is traditionally used to flavor fish or seafood, but it can be used on other meats or vegetables.

Chermoula spice mix and Moroccan seasoning are distinct blends, with chermoula being specific to North African cuisines like Moroccan, Algerian, and Tunisian, while Moroccan seasoning typically refers to a blend associated specifically with Moroccan cuisine.

Seafood steaks or fillets thicker than ½” should be turned over halfway through cooking time. Fish less than ½” thick does not need to be turned. When grilling or pan frying, place fillets skin side down (the skin will remove easily after cooking).

Fish that might otherwise be broiled can be baked at higher temperatures, ranging from 400 F to 450 F. The broiler incinerates fresh herbs and many other garnishes, but oven-baked fish can take full advantage of these light, low-fat flavoring options.

Baked or broiled is the way to go

Every pat of salted butter adds 36 calories, 4 g of fat and 32 mg of sodium.” Deep fried fish, on the other hand, is the loser in terms of calories; total fat, including saturated fat which is the bad kind; and sodium.

Season top side of fish with salt and pepper. Place on pan. Broil about 7-8 inches from broiler unit or flames about 5-7 minutes per side, or until fish is opaque when flaked. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime and serve immediately.

It depends on the outcome I'm looking for. Some people like to eat crispy fish skin. If I want to serve the salmon with the crispy skin intact, I will cook it skin side down first. Once the skin has become nicely browned and crispy, the fish will be flipped and finished cooking.

What can I substitute for chermoula? ›

Lemon Salt: Lemon adds a bright zing to fresh chermoula, so to replicate that in dry form, premade dried lemon mixed with sea salt is an excellent zesty alternative.

Both use garlic, salt, lemon juice, cumin and olive oil. It's the small differences that make all the difference when it comes to making a dip that's nice with bread. While chermoula contains paprika, a pinch of cayenne and a little saffron, zhoug uses coriander, cardamom and a good quantity of chiles.

Common spices used in Moroccan cuisine

The four most basic spices used in Moroccan cooking are cumin, black pepper, ginger and turmeric. Other common spices found in many dishes are saffron, paprika, cayenne, chilli (harissa), cinnamon, and sometimes white pepper.

FUMET (foo-MAY) is a very flavorful, light-colored stock made with fish bones. COURT BOUILLON (court boo-YON) is a very aromatic vegetable broth, and is used for poaching fish or vegetables.

The name chermoula comes from the Arabic word chermel, which is a verb to describe rubbing or marinating a food with a spice mix. Chermoula originated in Morocco and is used throughout North Africa.

Velouté is one of the five mother sauces of classical cuisine. It can be made with any white stock, but this version, the fish velouté, is made with fish stock. There's also a veal velouté and a chicken velouté.