Chermoula Roasted Cauliflower
Chermoula is the herb sauce of the Maghreb, the loud green marinade and dressing that cooks in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia spoon over fish and vegetables. It is built on cilantro and parsley with garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, and a lot of lemon, usually slack with olive oil. Left out of the oil, the sauce still works: you lean harder on the lemon and loosen it with a little water, and it clings just fine to cauliflower that has been roasted dark and sweet. Char the cauliflower first, then dress it, so the herbs stay fresh against the deep roasted flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 head Cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 cup Cilantro, packed
- 1/2 cup Flat-leaf parsley, packed
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Cumin seed, toasted and ground
- 1/2 tsp Coriander seed, toasted and ground
- 1 tsp Sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne
- 3 tbsp Lemon juice
Method
- Roast the florets cut-side down on a lined tray at 450 F (230 C) for about 25 minutes, without turning, until charred in patches and tender through. Hard dry heat browns cauliflower the way an oil coat would, and that browning is where the sweetness comes from.
- Toast the cumin and coriander seeds while it roasts, then grind them. Whole seeds toasted fresh are the base every chermoula is built on.
- Pulse or finely chop the cilantro, parsley, garlic, ground spices, paprika, cayenne, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons water into a loose, spoonable sauce. The water and the extra lemon replace the oil that normally carries chermoula, so keep it loose.
- Toss the hot cauliflower in the chermoula off the heat. Dressing it after roasting, rather than before, keeps the herbs green and raw-bright instead of cooking them dull.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. The sauce soaks in as it sits, so it is just as good made an hour ahead.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 90 calories, 4 g protein, 4 g fiber, 45 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
