Cilantro and parsley serve as the foundation for this lemon-forward and herbaceous North African-inspired sauce recipe that goes incredibly well with grilled fish and many other types of meat. If you like chimichurri or gremolata-style sauces, you should absolutely give this recipe a try.
Homemade Chermoula
Cilantro and parsley serve as the foundation for this lemon-forward and herbaceous North African-inspired sauce recipe that goes incredibly well with grilled fish and many other types of meat. If you like chimichurri or gremolata-style sauces, you should absolutely give this recipe a try.
Ingredients
- 1 small shallot, (peeled and finely minced)
- 3 garlic cloves, (peeled and finely minced)
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, (peeled and finely minced)
- Zest of 2 lemons
- Juice of 1 lemon, (or more to taste)
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, (both leaves and stems, finely minced)
- ¾ cup fresh parsley, leaves only, stems discarded, (finely minced)
- 1 scallion, (finely sliced)
- ½ cup good-quality extra virgin olive oil
- 6 saffron threads, ( finely minced)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ¾ tsp ground cayenne powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt, (or more to taste)
Instructions
- Peel and mince the shallot, garlic, and ginger.
- Place shallot, garlic, and ginger in a non-reactive bowl with the lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Allow the mixture to sit for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the sliced fresh cilantro, parsley, and scallion.
- Whisk in the olive oil, minced saffron, cumin, sweet paprika, and ground cayenne powder, until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Taste, and season with kosher salt until you are satisfied with the flavor.
- Add additional lemon juice if you feel that the sauce needs more acidity, and taste again to see if more salt is needed.
Notes
I saw that a number of traditional chermoula recipes called for preserved lemons, which would be a nice touch if you can find them. You can even make your own preserved lemons at home.