Imagine that you are sitting at a table next to an open market in Marrakesh, Morocco looking down the menu for something authentic to eat for lunch. You spy a familiar word there and consider ordering "Grilled Prawns with Chermoula." Prawns are a type of large shrimp, you know that. But what is chermoula?
Thanks to the cooking class I participated in last weekend I can tell you that chermoula is a traditional sauce for seafood in Moroccan recipes. It can be fried, cooked with vegetables in a tangine, or baked. It consists of coriander, garlic, sweet and hot peppers, cumin and coarse salt and it mixed with lemon juice and olive oil. And if you don't have the time (or the money) to travel to Marrakesh, here is the recipe so you can make it in your own kitchen:
Grilled Prawns with Chermoula
For the Sauce:
1 preserved lemon, flesh removed, skin roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves peeled and minced
1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 fat pinch saffron threads, soaked in 2 Tbsp hot water for 5 minutes
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chile flakes
1 tsp toasted cumin seeds
4 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Prawns:
1 pound large prawns, shelled and deveined
Olive oil for brushing grill pan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce: Combine all the chermoula ingredients together in a food processor and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
For the prawns: Pat the prawns dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat and brush with olive oil. Grill the prawns for 2 to 3 minutes each side, or until cooked through and no longer translucent. Transfer prawns to a medium bowl and add chermoula, toss to coat, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve over couscous.
Recipe courtesy of Sur la table.
Healthy Mediterranean Cooking
Chef Michael Romeo
No comments:
Post a Comment