Chermoula-marinated mackerel

Chermoula is a North African marinade, used to flavour fish. The recipe varies, but this one contains paprika, making in Moroccan

Prep:25 mins
Cook:15 mins

Serves 2
More effort

Nutrition per serving

kcal 698
fat 58g
saturates 10g
carbs 6g
sugars 1g
fibre 0g
protein 40g
salt 0.36g

Ingredients

2 whole mackerel, scaled, gutted and cleaned
olive oil, for brushing
lemon wedges, to serve
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
2 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp saffron
1 red chilli, roughly chopped, seeds in or out - up to you
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp paprika
pinch chilli powder
2 tbsp lemon juice
50g coriander, roughly chopped
3 tbsp light olive oil

Tip

Carrot, olive & lemon couscous
Place 100g couscous in a bowl with 25g butter. Pour over 100ml boiling water, then cover with cling film and leave to steam for about 4 mins. Remove the cling film and fluff the couscous with a fork, then stir in 50g black pitted olives, zest 1 lemon, 2 tbsp chopped coriander, pinch ground cumin, 1 finely chopped red chilli, 85g drained chickpeas and 1 small grated carrot. Season to taste.

Method

Pound the ingredients for the filling together using a pestle and mortar. Make 3 diagonal incisions along both sides of each mackerel, then push in the filling. Chill for up to 2 hrs before cooking.
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. For the chermoula, place the garlic, spices, lemon juice, coriander and a pinch of sea salt into a blender. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, blending.
Brush the mackerel with a little olive oil on both sides, then place on a hot griddle or frying pan and sear for 2 mins on each side. Carefully transfer to an oven tray and bake for about 10 mins, or until the mackerel is cooked through. Drizzle with some of the chermoula and serve with the Carrot, olive & lemon couscous (recipe, below), lemon wedges and the remaining chermoula on the side.