Moroccan Fish Tagine

I really enjoyed this recipe. Just the right amount of spice so as not to overpower the cod. Coating the fish in chermoula (an herb-spice paste) really made the dish. I had to cook the cod twice as long as written in the America’s Test Kitchen recipe as I note below in the instructions. Serve over rice.

Recipe

For the Cod
1 to 1-1/2 lbs. skinless cod fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

For the Chermoula
1/2 c. fresh cilantro leaves (plus 1/4 c. chopped for garnish)
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1-1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1-1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1-1/2 T. lemon juice
2 T. olive oil

To Cook
1/4 c. olive oil
1 onion, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 carrot, peeled and sliced on bias 1/4-inch thick
1/4 tsp. salt
(1) 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
1/3 c. pitted green olives, quartered
2 T. finely chopped preserved lemon

Place cod in a bowl and toss with 1/2 tsp. salt.

For the chermoula pulse cilantro leaves, garlic, cumin, paprika and cayenne in a food processor until finely chopped, about 12 pulses. Add lemon juice and pulse briefly to combine. Transfer mixture to a small bowl and stir in 2 T. olive oil. Set aside.

To cook heat 1/4 c. olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, green pepper, carrot and 1/4 tsp. salt and cook, stirring frequently until softened, 7-10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, olives and preserved lemon. Spread in an even layer on the bottom of the pot.

Toss the cod with the cilantro mixture (chermoula) until evenly coated. Do this at the last minute, just before you add it to the pot as you don’t want the mixture to ‘cook’ the cod. Arrange the cod over the vegetables in a single layer. Cover and cook until the cod starts to turn opaque and juices released from the cod are simmering vigorously, about 10 minutes.

Remove pot from the heat and let stand, covered, until cod is opaque and just cooked through, 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve.