Chermoula

Ingredients

• 1 cup cilantro – packed, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup flat-leaf parsley – packed, coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic – roughly chopped
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp preserved lemon – rind finely chopped
• 1 tsp lemon zest – finely grated
• 3 tbsp lemon juice – freshly squeezed
• 0.75 tsp kosher salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper – freshly ground
• 0.5 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Wash and dry the cilantro and parsley, then coarsely chop them and set aside.
2. In a large mortar, pound the garlic with the kosher salt to a smooth paste, 1–2 minutes.
3. Add the ground cumin, ground coriander, sweet paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper to the mortar and work them into the paste until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Add the preserved lemon and the lemon zest and pound to combine, 30–60 seconds.
5. Add the cilantro and flat-leaf parsley in batches, pounding until a coarse, moist paste forms, 2–3 minutes.
6. Stir in the lemon juice, then slowly work in the extra-virgin olive oil until the chermoula is loosened to a spoonable sauce, 1–2 minutes.
7. Let the chermoula rest 10–15 minutes to meld. Use immediately as a marinade or spoon over cooked foods; refrigerate up to 3 days.