Recipes

Chermoula Salmon

Serves 4

| Prep Time: 15 mins

| Cook Time: 8 mins

| Total Time: 25 mins

You may need: Chermoula

Discover The Recipe

Used across North Africa, Chermoula is a flavor-packed marinade and condiment typically served with grilled or fried fish. Traditionally made by hand-grinding fresh herbs like cilantro and parsley together with garlic, preserved lemon and spices, the resulting pungent sauce can be spooned on fish as a marinade before cooking and also served table side as a lovely condiment. This recipe for a Moroccan-inspired Chermoula Salmon teaches you the technique of pan-basting for faster cooking and achieving a crispy layer on juicy fish. Serve over a bed of lightly dressed mixed greens or grains with plenty of lemon on the side.

We've done the hard work up-front by curating classic Moroccan spices and fresh-dried herbs to create a Chermoula spice blend that can be used directly as a rub or as a base for a more authentic Chermoula-herb sauce. Paprika, cumin, garlic, and cayenne pepper provide classic earthy-spicy-savory notes that you need in any Chermoula sauce, while the cilantro and parsley provide the herbaceous base. The flavors are punctuated by subtle, cooling spearmint and a citrus note from fresh-dried lemon peel.

Ingredients

1.5 lbs salmon filets, skin on & portioned into 4 pieces
2 tbsp Piquant Post Chermoula Spice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tbsp lemon juice (~1/2 lemon, reserve other half of lemon for wedges)
1/4 tsp kosher salt (optional)
zest from 1/2 lemon (optional)
2 tbsp of chopped cilantro (optional)
pomegranate arils as garnish (optional)

Notes

This is a good recipe for learning fish cooking techniques. We put the skin side down in the pan first to ensure crispy skin, then baste with oil in the pan as it cooks to ensure even cooking and a crispy layer on the flesh.

Make sure to use a non-stick skillet or a well-seasoned cast iron skillet so that the fish doesn't stick and fall apart in the pan.

Instructions

Pat salmon dry with a paper towel to absorb moisture. Mix Chermoula spice, salt, lemon juice and 2 Tbsp oil in a small bowl.

Spread mixture over flesh of salmon (not the skin). Let sit for 10 mins to marinate.

Heat a large non-stick or cast-iron pan on Med-High. When pan is hot add 1 TBSP oil and turn down heat to Med. Sear the fish skin-side down. Using a spoon, periodically baste the salmon for 3-4 mins using the oil in the pan (tipping the pan to gather oil if needed).

Carefully flip the salmon using a spatula to skin-side up. Cook for 2 more mins. Remove salmon from heat and serve over lightly dressed mixed greens. Garnish salmon with cilantro, lemon zest, pomegranate arils, and lemon wedges.

Alternatives & Substitutions

If you'd prefer to use a different type of fish, select a flaky white fish (preferably with skin on one side) such as halibut, cod, sea bass, or black cod.
Our Chermoula spice can be used directly as a dry rub if you don't feel like making the paste. But making the paste is certainly worth the extra 1 minute of work.
If you'd like to make a more authentic Chermoula paste using plenty of fresh herbs like parsley and cilantro, or use a different type of fish from salmon, see our Chermoula Fish recipe.
Looking for vegans/vegetarian alternatives? Try this red bean cakes with chermoula recipe, chermoula tofu and roasted veggies, this roasted veggies with chickpeas and chermoula recipe, or Moroccan Potato and Spinach Pie. Simply substitute in our Chermoula spice for spices in these recipes.
There's no reason you have to season only fish with Chermoula. Try this blend on our Seared Steak.
Also, you can use this blend in any recipe calling for paprika. Substitute in Chermoula for paprika to add a lovely zing.
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