Simply cooked shrimp topped with a sauce can anchor a very flavorful meal, especially if that sauce is chermoula.
Chermoula is a North African-style sauce/condiment similar to Argentine chimichurri and Spanish salsa verde: chopped fresh herbs are combined with other ingredients, creating a tangy, green-colored sauce.
In most recipes I’ve seen for chermoula, these chopped herbs are parsley and cilantro, but in some, mint and/or thyme are also used.
To make chermoula, herbs are mixed with olive oil and flavorings. The latter includes items such as garlic, lemon, chili peppers and spices like cumin, coriander, paprika and/or saffron. You’ll also see ginger added to some chermoula recipes, including mine.
You can make the chermoula in a food processor, that’s what I did. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a sharp knife to finely chop the herbs, garlic, and ginger, transfer them to a bowl, then stir in the other ingredients.
In some chermoula recipes, whole spices are toasted and mixed into the sauce. But in my recipe, I simplified things and used ground spices, which many readers say they keep in their kitchen. However, to awaken their flavors, I heated and lightly toasted these ground spices before using them in the chermoula.
Chermoula is often served with or used to flavor fish and seafood. But it can also be served with or used to marinate foods like chicken, beef, lamb, and vegetables.
It can also be used to flavor salads and other sauces, such as hummus, serve as a spread for sandwiches, pizzas and flatbreads, or be incorporated into soups and other dishes. In other words, it will pair well with any type of food that will benefit from its bright, grassy, tangy and spicy taste.
In my recipe, I used chermoula to flavor the shrimp. To prepare the dish, large shrimp were briefly sautéed in olive oil in a pan, chermoula was added and the shrimp was covered with it. The shrimp were then heated a little longer, until just cooked, and served with more chermoula spooned over them on the plate.
The end result is a sublimely flavorful shrimp dish that you can serve with couscous and a North African-style tomato and cucumber salad.
In the recipe, I also suggested serving the shrimp with thick yogurt, which you can pour next to them once on the plate. The tangy yogurt pairs well with the flavor of the chermoula.
My recipe makes about 1/2 cup chermoula, enough for the two servings of shrimp the recipe makes. If you want to use chermoula in another way, you can double or expand the recipe further.
Chermoula, if stored in an airtight jar, will keep for at least five days in the refrigerator.
Shrimp with Chermoula
Plump shrimp are quickly sautéed and coated in chermoula, a tangy and savory North African-style sauce.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: about five minutes
Makes: two servings
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 cup (packed) cilantro leaves with tender stems (see options Eric)
1/2 cup (packed) Italian parsley leaves (flat-leaved) with tender stems
1 large clove of garlic, halved and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
12 to 14 large wild shrimp, peeled with tail end intact, patted dry (see note)
• lemon slices and sprigs of coriander or parsley, for garnish
• thick natural yogurt, to taste (optional)
Place coriander, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper in a small non-stick pan. Place the pan over medium heat. Heat and stir the spices until aromatic, about 60 to 90 seconds (be careful not to burn them). Remove the pan from the heat.
Place the cilantro, parsley, garlic, ginger and salt in a small food processor. Add the spices from the pan, pour in 1/4 cup olive oil and the lemon juice, then mix and create a sauce. Transfer the chermoula to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed. (It can be prepared several hours before needed. Warm to room temperature about 30 minutes before using).
To cook the shrimp, place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and cook for a minute. Flip each shrimp and cook for a minute on the other side. Pour half (about 1/4 cup) chermoula over shrimp. Flip each shrimp again to coat them evenly with chermoula. Cook shrimp one minute more or until cooked through.
Divide the shrimp between two plates and garnish them with the chermoula left in the pan. Garnish each plate with lemon slices and cilantro sprigs (or parsley). Serve the shrimp with the remaining chermoula sauce in the bowl, to garnish them at the table. If you wish, you can also serve the shrimp with a little thick natural yogurt, placing it next to them on the plate.
Note: I used large, raw, peeled, wild Argentinian red shrimp to test this recipe. They are sold in many supermarkets. I bought them frozen and a 16 ounce bag contained the shrimp needed here, plus a few others. I defrosted the ones I needed for this recipe and kept the others frozen for another use. Other types of large shrimp will also work here.
Cucumber and tomato salad
Here is a simple, colorful, light and refreshing North African salad that you can accompany with chermoula prawns.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: None
Makes: two servings
1/4 cup shallots or red onion, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup of cold water
• salt and ground white pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of honey
12 grape tomatoes or similar sized red cherry tomatoes, each cut in half
3/4 cup English cucumber, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, mint or parsley
Place the shallots (or onion) in a small bowl, pour in 1 cup of cold water, sprinkle with a little salt and let sit for 10 minutes. (Soaking and salting the shallots – or onion – will soften their strong taste when raw.) Drain the shallots (or onions) well.
Mix the olive oil, lemon juice and honey in a small salad bowl. Add the drained shallots (or onion), tomatoes, cucumber and coriander (mint or parsley). Season with salt and pepper and mix.
Cover and refrigerate the salad until ready to serve. It can be made about an hour in advance – mix it again before serving.
eakis@timescolonist.com
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section on Wednesday and Sunday.
