Ingredients
3 cups chopped packed cilantro, plus 1 cup chopped cilantro for garnish
10 cloves garlic, peeled, plus 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2 inches fresh ginger, peeled
¼ cup smoked paprika (regular sweet paprika may be substituted)
3 tablespoons whole cumin seed, toasted
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup white-wine vinegar
½ cup lemon juice
1¼ cups olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 (4- to 6-pound) whole, firm-fleshed fish such as striped bass or snapper—cleaned and
bones removed but left whole (or a 4-pound section of cod or halibut fillet)
4 pounds baking potatoes
3 green bell peppers, seeded, cored and sliced ½-inch thick
3 red bell peppers, seeded, cored and sliced ½-inch thick
2 large Spanish onions, peeled and thinly sliced
3 teaspoons red-pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 cup pitted black and/or green olives
½ cup salted capers, rinsed
2 preserved lemons, rinsed and julienned
What To Do
- To make chermoula, process 3 cups cilantro, 10 cloves garlic, ginger, paprika, cumin,
cayenne, vinegar, lemon juice, ½ cup oil and ½ cup water in a food processor until
smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set chermoula aside.
- Generously slather whole fish, inside and out, with chermoula (or cover all sides of
fish fillet). Score fish in a few places with a sharp knife. Set aside to marinate in a cool
place for at least 4 hours and up to overnight. If the marinating time is longer than 4
hours, refrigerate and return to room temperature before continuing. Reserve extra chermoula
in refrigerator, covered.
- When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Peel potatoes and slice 3/8-inch
thick. Toss with ¼ cup oil. Lay potato slices in a baking dish large enough for the fish.
Bake 25 minutes, turn potato slices and return to oven. Bake until brown and almost
done, 10-20 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, sauté red and green peppers, onions, 4 cloves sliced
garlic and red-pepper flakes in a large sauté pan in the remaining ½ cup oil until soft
and beginning to color, about 15 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, olives, capers and preserved
lemons. Cook, stirring, 3 more minutes. Take pan off heat and set aside.
- When potatoes are ready, place fish with all the marinade that adheres to it, on top of
the potatoes. Scatter vegetables over and around the fish. Scrape remaining marinade
off the plate onto fish and vegetables. Use more from reserved portion if necessary.
- Bake until fish flakes easily, indicating it is done, 30-60 minutes.
- Sprinkle with 1 cup cilantro and serve from pan or arrange on a platter. Best served
warm rather than piping hot.
