Grilled fish with chermoula and roasted chickpea salad

Tamara West

This fish, grilled with chermoula and served with chickpeas, is a healthy dish that’s packed full of flavour.

Chermoula paste

1 Tbsp	Coriander seeds
1 Tbsp	Cumin seeds
2 tsp	Fennel seeds
1 Tbsp	Smoked paprika
1 cup	Fresh coriander, chopped
½ cup	Flat leaf (Italian) parsley
5	Garlic cloves, small
2	Lemons, juice of
1	Red chilli, large
4 Tbsp	Extra virgin olive oil

Grilled fish

650 g

Fish, eg monkfish, kingfish or hapuku, firm, cut into 5cm pieces (Main)

Warm chickpea salad

1 punnet	Cherry tomatoes
1	Red onion, cut into 2cm wedges
1	Capsicum, red or yellow, cut into 2cm chunks
1	Garlic clove, minced
1 tsp	Olive oil
1 can	Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp	Kalamata olives
2 Tbsp	Capers
1	Lemon, zest of
½ tsp	Chilli flakes
½ cup	Flat leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped
½ cup	Fresh coriander, chopped

Directions

1. Heat oven to 200C.
2. To make the chermoula paste, toast coriander seeds, cumin seeds and fennel seeds in a dry pan until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and crush in a mortar and pestle. Place into a food processor along with remaining chermoula ingredients and blitz until a paste. Season well with salt and pepper.
3. Combine cherry tomatoes, red onion, capsicum, garlic and olive oil in a baking dish and season well with salt and pepper. Roast until onion is soft and slightly caramelised, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and toss with chickpeas, olives, capers, lemon zest and chilli. Set aside.
4. Season fish with salt. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large oven-proof pan over high heat. Fry fish on one side until just browned, about 1 minute. Flip over and top each fillet with chermoula paste, then place in the oven until fish is just cooked through, about 5 minutes.
5. Toss herbs through warm chickpea salad and divide between plates. Top with chermoula fish filets and wedges of extra lemon.