Striped Bass With Chermoula

Ease of Preparation: Medium
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

For the fish:

• 1 x 3-4 pound (1.4-1.8 kg) striped bass, whole, cleaned
• ¼ cup (60 ml) dukkah spice blend
• 1 cup (240 ml) preserved lemons, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil

For the chermoula:

• 5 garlic cloves, roasted
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) saffron threads
• ½ cup (120 ml) parsley leaves and stems
• 1 cup (240 ml) cilantro leaves and stems
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) chili flakes
• ½ cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, juice
• Salt

Special equipment:

• Butcher twine

Method:

For the fish:

Preheat oven to 400 F (230 C).

Season cavity of the fish with half the dukkah spice.

Stuff cavity of fish with preserved lemons.

Tie the cavity of the fish closed with butcher twine.

With a sharp knife, score the skin and part of the flesh of the fish.

Rub oil over fish and season with remaining dukkah.

Place fish on roasting rack.

Roast in oven for 15-18 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.

Remove from oven, let rest 5 minutes.

For the chermoula:

Combine roasted garlic, cumin, and saffron in a food processor, pulse to blend.

Add parsley, cilantro, chili flakes, oil, lemon juice, and salt to season, process until smooth.

To Finish:

Transfer fish to a serving dish, serve with chermoula.