This recipe starts with the famous Moroccan marinade, Red Chermoula
It’s best to make this in a glass jar
You need
10ml salt
10ml sweet paprika
5ml smoked paprika
5ml ground cumin
1ml ground black pepper
Optional: 2-3 dried chillies
15ml chopped garlic
30ml coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
30ml coarsely chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves and stems
30ml chopped preserved lemon rind (recipe: preserved lemon)
15ml fresh lemon juice
200ml canola or mild olive oil
200ml water
200ml good quality passata (crushed, sieved tomatoes or tomato puree)
To prepare
mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate. It keeps for up to 2 weeks.
Use Chermoula for:
A marinade, sauce or cooking liquid for red meats
A marinade for grilled and roast chicken
Sauté prawns or calamari and stir in a few spoons of chermoula during the last minute of cooking
Toss vegetables on it before baking them
For roast lamb or goat
Use a leg or shoulder for this dish.
Pierce a few slits in the dense muscle.
Pour the chermoula over and allow to marinade for up to 48 hours, turning the meat occasionally.
Place meat in a roasting pan and 1-2 cm of marinade in the base. Add 250ml water or stock.
Roast at 200°C for 20-30 minutes until the surface is golden brown, then turn the heat down to 130°C and cover with foil. If necessary, top up the pan juices with 200ml chermoula and stock after 60 minutes cooking. Cook for 2 hours covered. Use the pan juices over the sliced meat.
Alternatively cook the meat in a pizza oven or a covered (kettle style) braai