Chermoula fish

I came across this recipe earlier in the week, in an email from Mindfood.  Their recipes always sound beautiful and would undoubtedly be very tasty, but to be honest I usually just find them a bit too fussy for a weekday meal (after work, who can be bothered with tricky?).  This one however struck me as relatively straightforward.  And it was a fish recipe, perfect for a light, but tasty, Monday-meal.  

Chermoula is a marinade used extensively in North African cooking (particularly those areas along the Mediterranean).  It is traditionally used to season seafood, but can be used as a flavour-base for other meats or vegetables.  This marinade doesn't used cumin, but cumin is, along with coriander, a typical ingredient in chermoula. 

I used a combination of hoki (it was on special) and tarakihi for our meal.  But any firm white fish would do nicely.  Gurnard would be excellent!  

4 fillets of fish (roughly 700 g) 

500 g potatoes, cut into quarters lengthways

1 tbsp butter 

1 red onion, sliced

1 capsicum, cut into thick slices

1-2 tbsp grated ginger 

300 g tomatoes, cut into chunks 

1 cup chicken stock 

1/2 cup large green olives (Delmaine do ones in a jar which worked well)

1-2 limes, cut into thick slices (or 1 tbsp preserved lemon)

crusty bread, to serve (optional) 

coriander leaves, to garnish 

Chermoula: 

1 cup coriander 

1/2 cup parsley 

1 tbsp Ras El Hanout 

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic 

1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or apple cider)

salt and pepper

1. Place chermoula ingredients in food processor  and process until all cut up and becoming smooth (I left a few bigger pieces in mine).  
2. Cut fish into chunks.  Combine with chermoula in a bowl.  Set aside.  
3. Steam potatoes until tender.  
4. Heat butter in large pan/pot (it must have a tight-fitting lid), or a tagine (I don't have one, so used a large heavy pot).  Add onion and capsicum and cook for about 5 minutes, til softened.  
5. Add ginger and tomatoes and cook for further two minutes.  Remove from heat and set tomato-onion mixture in a bowl.  
6. Arrange potatoes in bottom of pot.  Spoon over half the tomato mixture.  Top with chermoula fish and second half of tomatoes.  Pour oven stock.  Scatter with olives and lime.  
7. Cover pot with sheet of baking paper and tight-fitting lid (or your tagine's lid) and simmer gently for 10 minutes.  
8. Serve with warm crusty bread (I used some par-baked dinner rolls).  

NB: Most supermarkets carry pre-mixed Ras el Hanout these days too - I have one in the pantry from Mrs Rogers Premium range, bought at our local Countdown.