dulce calor

Charmoula

Charmoula (شرمولة:‎) is a marinade used in Algerian, Moroccan, and Tunisian cooking. It’s usually used to flavor fish and other seafood, but can be used on meat or vegetables as well. It's made of a mix of herbs, oil, lemon juice, pickled lemons, garlic, cumin, and salt and may include onion, fresh coriander, ground chili peppers, black pepper, or saffron. There are many different versions using different spices and proportions vary widely. In most recipes, the first two ingredients are garlic and coriander/cilantro.

A Moroccan version comprises dried parsley, cumin, paprika, and salt and pepper. It’s the original seasoning for grilling meat and fish in Moroccan cuisine. MAKES 1 ¼ CUPS.

  ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. sweet or smoked paprika

10 sprigs fresh cilantro, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 red chile, stemmed, seeded, minced

1 shallot, halved and thinly sliced

Kosher salt, to taste