Moroccan Fish Tagine
Preserved lemons lend their unique flavour to this tasty colourful fish Moroccan tagine. Serve it with steamed couscous and a grated carrot salad, made by combining grated carrots with a little fresh orange juice and sprinkling with ground cinnamon.
Inroduction
About this Recipe
By: Sheridan Rogers
Preserved lemons lend their unique flavour to this tasty colourful Moroccan fish tagine. Serve it with steamed couscous and a grated carrot salad made by combining freshly grated carrots with a little orange juice and sprinkling with ground cinnamon. I really like the pearl-like Israeli couscous with this tagine – you’ll find cooking instructions below.
Ingredients
Serves 4
4 fish steaks (such as blue eye cod,
kingfish or swordfish), approx 225g each
Chermoula:
- olive oil, 4 tablespoons
- onion, 1 small, peeled and chopped
- garlic, 4 cloves, peeled and chopped
- ground cumin, 1 teaspoon
- paprika, 1 teaspoon
- pinch saffron threads
- salt, 1/4 teaspoon
- lemon, juice of half
- fresh coriander, 1/2 bunch washed and chopped, including stalks
The Vegetables:
- celery, 2 stalks, sliced
- dry white wine or water, 125ml
- red onions, 2 small, peeled and sliced
- green capscisum, deseeded and cut into rings
- ripe tomatoes, 2 medium, sliced
- potato, 1 large, peeled, thinly sliced and par-boiled
- preserved lemon, 1, skin only, rinsed
- medium green olives, 12, rinsed
Combine the chermoula ingredients in a food processor or blender and proccess until well combined.
Coat the fish steaks with the mixture, cover and marinate for two hours in a non-corrosive dish.
Preheat oven to 220 degC (200C fan-forced).
Prepare the vegetables: scatter the celery over the bottom of a tagine or overnproof dish, pour in the wine or water and lay the fish steaks over the top. Strew the red onion rings over the fish, then capsicum, tomatoes and potatoes in layers. Slice the skin of the preserved lemon and add to the dish. Scatter over the olives.
Mix a little water through any remaining chermoula and pour over the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 180C and bake a further 30 – 35 minutes or until fish and vegetables are cooked.
Serve immediately with steamed couscous.
Tip: for the Israeli couscous, sweat a small chopped onion in olive oil in a medium pan until soft (don’t let it colour). Add 1 cup Israeli couscous and stir well to coat the grains. Add 1 1/4 cups boiling stock or water and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, cover and turn down heat and simmer 8 – 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir through some chopped fresh parsley or coriander.