Jennifer says: “The aromas of cinnamon and other spices permeate the streets in Morocco, from the market stalls to the footpaths. Tagines are made streetside in individual clay pots that bubble away for hours, making dreamy smells for passersby. Essaouira, a windy seaside town, is where I encountered this light stew. After eating a lot of lamb in Marrakesh it made a refreshing change.”

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

800g firm white fish fillets such as tilapia, swordfish, halibut or barramundi cod
150g small new potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
3cm piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
½ small piece preserved lemon, pith discarded, skin rinsed and chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
200ml fish or vegetable stock
Steamed couscous, lemon wedges and chopped coriander leaves, to serve

For the chermoula:

large handful of coriander leaves and stalks
2 tsp ground hot paprika
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
juice of 2 lemons
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves

Method

To make the chermoula, process all the ingredients with a pinch of salt in a blender until smooth.

Cut the fish into large chunks and put it in a non-metallic dish, pour on half the chermoula and stand for 30–60 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until tender. Drain and set aside.

To make the tagine base, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium–high heat. Add the onion and ginger, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook for 10 minutes or until soft. Add the remaining chermoula, preserved lemon, tomato paste, cherry tomatoes and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the fish and cooked potatoes to the saucepan containing the tagine base and cook for five minutes or until the fish is just cooked through. Serve the tagine, sprinkled with extra coriander, steamed couscous and lemon wedges.

Get ahead
Make the chermoula and the base for the tagine earlier in the day, cover and refrigerate.

From My Street Food Kitchen by Jennifer Joyce (Murdoch Books, £20), out now

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