Moroccan Fish Tagine

, from Issue #74. September, 2017
Photography by Manja Wachsmuth.
Moroccan Fish Tagine

Lightly spiced and fragrant with preserved lemons, green olives and spices, it’s sure to impress as either a weekend or weeknight entertaining meal.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

600 grams firm fresh fish fillets (I used monkfish)
300 grams waxy potatoes, cooked
Chermoula
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup firmly packed coriander leaves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon each ground turmeric and smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
zest and juice 1 lemon
1 teaspoon sea salt
To cook
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
400-gram tin cherry tomatoes
1 cup vegetable stock
2 roasted red capsicums, sliced
12 large pitted green olives
4 quarters preserved lemon, skin thinly sliced
coriander, lemon wedges, and mint leaves, to garnish

METHOD

Chermoula: Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Cut the fish into large pieces and place in a shallow dish. Add half the chermoula and turn to coat, then set aside.

To cook: Heat the oil in a large sauté pan and add the onions and ginger with a good pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 10 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water, if needed.

Add the remaining chermoula to the pan and cook for 5 minutes then add the tomatoes, stock and the capsicums and bring to the boil. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Add the olives and half of the preserved lemon and the cooked potatoes and stir together. Place the fish on top, cover and cook for 5–8 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through.

To serve: Top with the remaining preserved lemon, lemon wedges and herbs. Serve with couscous, if desired.