Ever heard of charmoula? The spice blend — actually, it’s more of a paste — is a North African blend of fresh herbs and spices which works well as everything from a marinade to a dipping sauce. Use it as a quick flavoring for fish — it’s especially good with shrimp and shellfish — or as a finishing sauce for grilled meats or vegetables. I’ve even served it alongside grilled or toasted bread as a dipping sauce.
And it’s simple to make, coming together in minutes. In this recipe, I combine garlic, ginger, parsley, cilantro and lemon, grinding them to a paste (you can use a mortar and pestle, or pulse everything together using a food processor). Layer the flavors with sweet Spanish paprika, ground cumin, bay leaf, a pinch of saffron and a touch of cayenne pepper for a little heat. Add more or less olive oil depending on whether you want to use the charmoula as a dip or a sauce. That’s it. The blend will keep up to a week, refrigerated.
QUICK TIP: If you’re grilling with wooden skewers, soak them 10 minutes or so in hot water before threading the food. Soaking the wood helps to keep it from overheating and burning while grilling.
GRILLED SHRIMP SKEWERS WITH CHARMOULA
TKTK minutes. Serves 2 to 4
CHARMOULA
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons sweet Spanish paprika
Pinch cayenne powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 dried bay leaf, crumbled
Pinch saffron
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Using a mortar and pestle, or in the bowl of a food processor, grind the garlic and ginger to a paste. Add the chopped parsley, cilantro and lemon zest and coarsely mash. Stir in the lemon juice. Stir in the paprika, cayenne, cumin, bay leaf and saffron and grind to incorporate.
Slowly pour in the olive oil while blending to form an emulsion, then stir in the salt. Adjust the seasoning as desired. This makes about 1 cup charmoula, which will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week.
GRILLED SHRIMP SKEWERS WITH CHARMOULA
1 pound cleaned, tail on jumbo shrimp
Prepared charmoula, divided
1 large lemon, sliced crosswise into 1/8-inch slices
Oil for the grill
In a large, nonreactive container or resealable plastic bag, combine the shrimp and 1/3-cup charmoula. Cover (or seal the bag, removing any air), and refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate. Shortly before grilling, soak the wooden skewers to prevent the wood from burning on the grill.
Remove the shrimp from the marinade and thread with the lemon slices onto the prepared skewers.
Heat a grill over medium-high heat until hot. Oil the rack and place the skewers on top. Grill the skewers until the shrimp are puffy, pink and opaque, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve immediately with the remaining charmoula sauce.
Note: From Noelle Carter. Adapted from recipes I developed at the Los Angeles Times.