Sami Tamimi’s chermoula salmon with olive salsa and spicy batata harra potatoes. Photograph: Phoebe Pearson/The Guardian. Food styling: Hanna Miller. Prop styling: Lucy Turnbull. Food styling assistant: Thea Hudson. View image in fullscreen Sami Tamimi’s chermoula salmon with olive salsa and spicy batata harra potatoes. Photograph: Phoebe Pearson/The Guardian. Food styling: Hanna Miller. Prop styling: Lucy Turnbull. Food styling assistant: Thea Hudson. Food Sami Tamimi’s recipes for chermoula fish with olive salsa, and spicy, Palestinian-style potatoes The classic Moroccan marinade works brilliantly with oily fish, and is made for lazy summer dining, especially if served with chilli potatoes alongside
Prefer the Guardian on Google O n warmer days, I want to cook simpler yet bolder food. Meals become fresher, less heavy and more instinctive, using fewer ingredients but stronger flavours. Everything feels relaxed and generous, which is why I’m drawn to chermoula fish and batata harra , full of garlic, herbs, chilli, citrus, cumin and smoke. In other words, food that’s made for outdoors, slow afternoons and warm summer-night gatherings with loved ones.
Chermoula is a classic Moroccan marinade that’s traditionally used to flavour white fish. Here, though, I’ve chosen sea trout or salmon, because I love how oily fish balances the bright flavours of the cumin, coriander, garlic and lemon. Served with an olive salsa full of heat and citrus, this dish is inspired by memories of travelling through Morocco and wandering Marrakech’s markets, drinking mint tea on rooftop terraces and eating freshly grilled seafood on the coast in Essaouira.
Prep 20 min Marinate 30 min Cook 25 min Serves 4
800g sustainably-sourced sea trout or salmon fillet , skin on
For the chermoula 7 tbsp olive oil 4 garlic cloves , peeled and crushed 1 small onion , peeled and finely chopped (110g) 20g fresh coriander , finely chopped 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp lemon zest 1 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp sweet paprika ½ tsp dried chilli flakes , crushed Salt and black pepper
For the olive salsa 30g black olives , pitted and finely chopped 1 small or ½ large cucumber , deseeded and finely chopped (50g) 4 spring onions , trimmed and finely sliced 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 3 tbsp olive oil 1 red chilli , pith and seeds discarded if you prefer less heat, flesh finely chopped (20g net weight) 25g sunflower seeds , toasted ½ tsp sugar 1 tsp orange zest ½ tbsp orange blossom water
Lay the fish fillet skin side down on an oven tray lined with greaseproof paper, pat dry with paper towel and set aside.
Put all the chermoula ingredients in a medium bowl with a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper, and mix well. Sprinkle a half-teaspoon of salt over the fish, spoon the chermoula on top and spread it out evenly. Cover and leave in the fridge to marinate for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, put all the salsa ingredients in another medium bowl, add a half-teaspoon of salt and a grind of black pepper, and mix well.
Bake the fish in an oven heated to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 for 17 minutes (or up to 20, if you prefer it more well cooked), until cooked through and it flakes easily. Carefully transfer the fish to a large platter and serve with the olive salsa on the side, and perhaps with the batata harra below.
View image in fullscreen Sami Tamimi’s batata harra-spicy potatoes. This popular Levantine dish is known for its bold heat and fragrant herbs. Crisp fried or roast pot…