From North Africa to India to Southeast Asia, turmeric is widely used for its healing properties, and its power to impart a bold color and flavor to food.
A touch of turmeric creates all time favorites such as Malaysian satay, Chả Cá Thăng Long (Vietnamese Hanoi-style fish with turmeric and dill), Spanish paella, Indonesian beef rendang, the humble Indian aloo gobi (roasted cauliflower), and the endless curries that would never taste - or look - the same without this special spice.
For anyone wanting to try out turmeric, I found Moroccan cuisine a great place to start. I had my first Moroccan dish during a trip to Sydney and was delighted by the taste of the lemony North African marinade known as Chermoula.
Simply blend or pound together fresh cilantro, parsley, and garlic, as well as turmeric powder, cumin, and sweet Hungarian paprika. Then drizzle in olive oil and lemon juice to form the spice blend into Chermoula paste. Rub the paste over your choice of meat, and let the flavors infuse for a few hours, or overnight.
You can grill, oven-roast or pan fry. The Chermoula tenderizes and gives the meat a bright lemony profile, with the complementing flavors of turmeric and fresh herbs. I often use this marinade on chicken and roasted red snapper, but goes well with all kinds of meats or vegetables.
A wonderful way to add a touch of turmeric to your holiday dishes!
Chermoula Spiced Roasted Chicken by Season with Spice
What you’ll need:
4 pieces of chicken leg (thigh & drumstick) or 6 pieces of chicken thigh
1 small red onion, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon dried or fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 tbsp Season with Spice's Turmeric Powder
1/2 tbsp Season with Spice's ground cumin
1/2 tbsp Season with Spice's ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon Season with Spice's sweet Hungarian paprika
Dash of Kashmiri Chili Powder, optional
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest, optional
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Blend the chopped onion, garlic and fresh herbs using a food processor or pound them together using a mortar and pestle.
2. In a bowl, combine the blended mixture with all the ground spices. Then add in olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix well until you obtain a yellow paste.
3. Make 2-3 light scores on each chicken piece. This will allow the chermoula marinade to penetrate the meat nicely. Season the chicken with a tiny pinch of salt before you rub them thoroughly with the chermoula paste. Marinate for one hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
4. Preheat oven to 400F.
5. Place the marinated chicken on baking sheet and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Roast for 40-50 minutes.
6. Serve hot. Squeeze over some lemon juice if desired.
Notes:
1. I used a mortar and pestle to pound the onion, garlic and herbs mixture to get the consistency that I wanted (using a food processor will result in a very fine paste).
2. Pat dry the chicken with paper towels before you marinate with chermoula paste. Wear a glove if you do not want your hands to be stained by the yellow spice.
3. If you use chermoula on fish, just rub the paste over the fish before cooking (no need to marinate for an hour).
What you’ll need:
4 pieces of chicken leg (thigh & drumstick) or 6 pieces of chicken thigh
1 small red onion, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon dried or fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 tbsp Season with Spice's Turmeric Powder
1/2 tbsp Season with Spice's ground cumin
1/2 tbsp Season with Spice's ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon Season with Spice's sweet Hungarian paprika
Dash of Kashmiri Chili Powder, optional
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest, optional
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Blend the chopped onion, garlic and fresh herbs using a food processor or pound them together using a mortar and pestle.
2. In a bowl, combine the blended mixture with all the ground spices. Then add in olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix well until you obtain a yellow paste.
3. Make 2-3 light scores on each chicken piece. This will allow the chermoula marinade to penetrate the meat nicely. Season the chicken with a tiny pinch of salt before you rub them thoroughly with the chermoula paste. Marinate for one hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
4. Preheat oven to 400F.
5. Place the marinated chicken on baking sheet and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Roast for 40-50 minutes.
6. Serve hot. Squeeze over some lemon juice if desired.
Notes:
1. I used a mortar and pestle to pound the onion, garlic and herbs mixture to get the consistency that I wanted (using a food processor will result in a very fine paste).
2. Pat dry the chicken with paper towels before you marinate with chermoula paste. Wear a glove if you do not want your hands to be stained by the yellow spice.
3. If you use chermoula on fish, just rub the paste over the fish before cooking (no need to marinate for an hour).
