Moroccan style sardine fillet and potato bake

 Chermoula is a Moroccan sauce and marinade usually served with fish or vegetables and chicken. Chermoula was traditionally prepared in a mortar with a pestle to crush all the herbs so that they best released their flavour. Because I am not a fan of fresh coriander I have only used parsley for my chermoula.

2 servings

6 sardine fillets

3-5 new potatoes

2 medium onions

8 black olives, pitted

1 lemon

Olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

A few sprigs of parsley to decorate

For the chermoula:

4 tbsp. finely cut parsley

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 tsp. paprika powder

2 tsp. cumin powder

2 tbsp. lemon juice

3 tbsp. olive oil

A pinch of salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200° C.

Prepare the chermoula. Crush the minced garlic, a pinch of salt, black pepper, paprika powder, and cumin powder in a mortar with a pestle. Add the parsley, cut finely with scissors, and the olive oil. Juice the lemon and use 2 tbsp. for the chermoula saving the rest for the potato bake. Crush all the ingredients in the mortar into a nice consistence.

Place the sardine fillets on a large plate skin- side up and spread half of the chermoula on them. Cover with foil and keep refrigerated until needed.

Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut into thin slices. Peel the onions and thinly slice them. In a bowl, mix the potato and onion slices with 2 tbsp. olive oil, the rest of the lemon juice, and freshly ground black pepper.  Pour into a non-stick oven-proof dish and bake for 30 minutes. Then add the rest of the chermoula and the olives and mix. Continue baking for 30 minutes, covering the dish if needed, or until the potatoes are soft.  

Place the sardine fillets on top of the potato- onion bake and return the dish into the oven for 10 minutes. Decorate with a few sprigs of parsley and serve with some wilted spinach or other greens.