This is the recipe my son asked me to serve for his 7th birthday dinner. Chermoula is a marinade or sauce originating from North African cuisine, commonly paired with fish and seafood. I find that when I have extra sauce leftover I can use it with vegetables, grains and chicken too for a flavor boost. It is much like an Italian pesto, but instead of cheese uses delicious warm spices, making it aromatic and flavorful.
Oven Roasted Salmon with Chermoula “Spiced Herb” Sauce
Print recipe- 6 Servings
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Calories: 352
Nutrition
Serving Size
1 Serving
Servings
6
Calories
352
Carbohydrates
3g
Total Fat
22g
Protein
35g
Sodium
494mg
Fiber
1g
Ingredients
- 6 pieces of salmon, each weighing about 5-6 ounces (3-4 ounce piece per child)
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp crushed dried red pepper (or more to taste)
- 1 tbsp ground paprika
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Directions
-
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-
Step 2
Wash cilantro and parsley. Remove thick stems from cilantro and parsley.
-
Step 3
Place cilantro, parsley, garlic, salt, cumin, crushed red pepper, paprika, olive oil, and lemon juice in blender and blend into a sauce. There will be small bits of herbs in the sauce.
-
Step 4
Pour sauce into a small saucepan and heat on medium-low until warm. Stir regularly.
-
Step 5
In a large oven-safe, non-stick pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until pan is very hot, but oil is not smoking.
-
Step 6
Place salmon portions skin side down into the hot pan. You should hear a sizzle. Cook for 3 minutes. Don’t crowd the pan, cook salmon in batches if needed.
-
Step 7
With a pair of tongs, carefully check to see if the salmon skin is brown and crispy. Once the skin is brown and crispy, gently turn over salmon filets so skin is now facing up.
-
Step 8
Immediately, place pan in the preheated oven and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
-
Step 9
Next, using oven mitts, remove the pan from the oven.
-
Step 10
Place salmon on plate. Spoon desired amount of sauce over salmon and serve.
Make Ahead Tips
The Chermoula Sauce can be made 1-2 days ahead to save time.
