Moroccan Chermoula Grilled Sea Bream with Chilled Tomato Cucumber Salad

Make the chermoula: combine the cilantro, parsley, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne, olive oil, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of salt in a food processor and pulse to a coarse, spoonable paste — you want texture, not a smooth puree.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 whole sea bream or branzino (about 1 pound each), scaled and gutted
• 1 packed cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1 packed cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the grill
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus 2 lemons halved for grilling
• 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced
• 1/2 small red onion, very finely diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Make the chermoula: combine the cilantro, parsley, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne, olive oil, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of salt in a food processor and pulse to a coarse, spoonable paste — you want texture, not a smooth puree.
2. Pat the fish completely dry inside and out, then cut three shallow diagonal slashes through the skin on each side down to the bone.
3. Rub half the chermoula all over the fish, working it deep into the slashes and the cavity. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours; reserve the remaining chermoula at room temperature for serving.
4. Meanwhile, make the salad: toss the diced tomatoes, cucumber and red onion with the mint, a generous pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes so the flavors settle and the tomatoes release their juice.
5. Heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high and scrub the grate clean, then oil it thoroughly with a folded paper towel held in tongs — this is the single step that decides whether the skin sticks or releases.
6. Grill the fish for 6 to 7 minutes without moving it, until the skin is crisp and lifts away from the grate cleanly. Flip carefully with two spatulas and grill for another 5 to 6 minutes, until the flesh at the thickest point flakes easily.
7. Grill the lemon halves cut-side down alongside the fish for the final 3 minutes, until deeply caramelized.
8. Transfer the fish to a warm platter and spoon the reserved chermoula generously over the top while the skin is still crackling.
9. Drain any excess liquid from the chilled salad, taste for salt, and pile it alongside the fish.
10. Serve immediately with the charred lemon halves for squeezing.
11. Chermoula is Morocco's answer to the question of what a marinade should do — not tenderize, but perfume. Cooks along the Atlantic coast from Essaouira to Safi have used this cilantro-and-cumin paste on sardines, bream and squid for centuries, applying it both before and after the fire so the raw herbs stay bright against the smoke. Pairing it with a barely-dressed chilled salad is the classic summer move: nothing competes, everything cools.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 540 kcal
• Protein: 44g
• Fat: 35g
• Carbohydrates: 14g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 8g
• Sodium: 620mg