Morocco · Sauces and Dips

Chermoula

Chermoula is Morocco's answer to chimichurri — a herb sauce built on cilantro and parsley, sharpened with lemon, warmed by cumin and paprika, cut through with raw garlic.

10 min✻6 servings✻140 kcal
Chermoula

Ingredients

  • fresh cilantro40 g
  • fresh flat-leaf parsley30 g
  • garlic cloves3
  • fresh lemon juice3 tbsp
  • lemon zest1 tsp
  • extra-virgin olive oil80 ml
  • ground cumin1.5 tsp
  • sweet paprika1 tsp
  • ground coriander0.5 tsp
  • fine salt0.5 tsp
  • cayenne or red pepper flakes0.25 tsp
  • preserved lemon rind0.5 tsp

Method

  1. 1Prep the herbs. Wash the cilantro and parsley well and spin or pat dry. Remove the thick lower stems — everything above the lower third of the bunch is usable, including the thin stems, which have good flavor. Rough-chop before adding to the food processor; it helps the machine work evenly.
  2. 2Blend. Put the cilantro, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, cumin, paprika, coriander, salt, cayenne, and preserved lemon if using into a food processor. Pulse 6 to 8 times to break everything down. With the motor running, pour the olive oil through the feed tube in a steady stream. Blend until the sauce is uniformly chopped and cohesive — 30 to 45 seconds total. Stop before it becomes a smooth paste. Chermoula should have visible texture, not be completely smooth.
  3. 3Taste and adjust. The balance to aim for: bright from the lemon, warm from the cumin, herby and slightly bitter from the raw garlic, with a background heat from the cayenne. If it's flat, add more lemon juice or salt. If the herb flavor is too aggressive, add a little more olive oil. If you want more heat, more cayenne. The preserved lemon, if you used it, adds a fermented, salty depth that lemon juice alone doesn't produce.
  4. 4Use immediately or store. Chermoula is at its best within the first few hours when the herbs are vivid and the garlic is sharp. As a marinade: coat meat or fish generously and leave for at least 30 minutes, up to 8 hours in the fridge. As a sauce: spoon over grilled fish, chicken, or roasted vegetables just before serving. Reserve a portion before using the rest as a marinade — never use marinade that's been in contact with raw protein as a finishing sauce.
  5. 5Storage: Pour into a glass jar, press a layer of olive oil over the surface to limit oxidation, and seal. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The herbs will lose some of their bright green color after day one, which is normal — the flavor stays. Chermoula can be frozen in ice cube trays for up to 3 months; freeze individual portions and add directly to soups, stews, or sauces from frozen.