- 1 pound 12 oz. tuna steaks, cut into 1 ¼ inch cubes
- 2 Tbsp. California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp. ground cumin
- 2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
- 1 ¼ cups chermoula (recipe below), to serve
Soak eight bamboo skewers in water for 2 hours, or use metal skewers. Put the tuna in a shallow nonmetallic dish. Combine the California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil, cumin, and lemon zest and pour over the tuna. Toss to coat, then cover and marinate in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Thread the tuna onto the skewers. Lightly oil a grill pan or barbecue grill plate (or use a grill) and cook the skewers for 1 minute on each side for rare, or 2 minutes for medium. Serve with the chermoula drizzled over the tuna.
Chermoula
- ½ tsp. ground coriander
- 3 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 tsp. sweet paprika
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 large handfuls Italian parsley, chopped
- 2 large handfuls cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- ½ cup California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil
Put the ground coriander, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper in a small frying pan and cook over medium heat for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
Put the spices and all the ingredients, except the California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil, in a blender. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Blend until finely chopped. With the motor running, drizzle in the California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil and blend to a paste. You can also use a mortar and pestle.
Use as required or keep in an airtight jar. The chermoula will keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Yields 1 ¼ cups.
Chef's Note: Hailing from Morocco, chermoula is used as both a condiment and as a marinade. While the ingredients and proportions can vary widely, it often combines cilantro and parsley leaves, onions, garlic, cumin, paprika, and a pinch of cayenne pepper and salt. It is typically paired with firm, robust-flavored fish, but also marries well with poultry and lamb. The paste is either rubbed onto the fish or meat prior to broiling or barbecuing, or served in the same way as a salsa. Chermoula is sometimes made without the herbs and resembles more of a spice rub.
Recipe courtesy of The Spice Bible: Essential Information and More Than 250 Recipes Using Spices, Spice Mixes, and Spice Pastes by Jane Lawson (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2008)