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