Charmoula

I love the technique of using condiments and sauces to add flavor and variety to basic preparations and have talked about it before.  On of my favorites is charmoula, a North African condiment based on cilantro, parsley, spices, oil, and lemon.  I love the complexity and how the freshness of the herbs mixes with the warmth of the spices and the lemony tartness.  It has probably become my favorite method of adding flavor outside of variations on a basic vinaigrette in my toolkit.

Yet making charmoula can be a pain in the neck for a couple of reasons. The basic approach is to reduce two cups of cilantro and two cups of parsley with a bunch of other things to a relatively consistent paste.  Consider that for a moment – a leaf is something solid, if fragile. It is not a semi-solid.  You have to do something to it to make it a paste.  

But before you even get to the point where you figure out a way to pulverize these leaves, you have to separate the leaves from the stems.  Have you ever tried to separate the leaves from the stems for two bunches of cilantro and one bunch of parsley?  That can take the better part of an hour.

As an aside, is a “bunch” a legitimate standard measure?  How to we know?  When I see a reference to a bunch in a recipe, is that a supermarket bunch or a health foods store bunch or a farmstand bunch or what?

So let’s start there.  Yesterday, I was plucking the leaves off a bunch of cilantro and had reached that point where my fingers were wet and the leaves were sticking to them.  That was less than half way through the same bunch.  I then had a flash of inspiration.  The kitchen gods sent me a message.  I pulled out my colander (!), picked up a cilantro stem, and pulled it through a hold in the colander.  The leaves fell nicely into the colander with no muss and I proceeded to whip through the rest of cilantro and parsley in no time at all.  Well, truth be told, it wasn’t no time at all – it still took about 15 minutes but it was a LOT less time than plucking leaves.

So I ripped right through the cilantro and parsley, toasted the cumin, ground the spices, and crushed the garlic.  Now comes the next part – how to reduce these glorious leaves to a paste?

There was this one time when my true love asked me what was for dinner and I told her pork chops with charmoula.  She asked what charmoula was and I told her that we’d had it the previous evening with our grilled fish.  She said “the stuff that looked like lawnmower clippings – that was really good.”

Her observation about lawnmower clippings was right on target.  Using a knife or a food processor is likely to leave your leaves looking chopped chopped.  Finely chopped, mind you, but chopped nonetheless.  

That’s where my new fascination with a mortar and pestle comes in. Starting with the garlic, a mortar and pestle is much better at preparing garlic than mincing or smashing with a knife or a garlic press.  Toss in the garlic with a little salt and you can reduce to a loose paste in no time.  Then, add the herbs a handful at a time, crushing them with the mortar and pestle each time.  The results produce a thick paste that is far more texturally consistent than anything I’ve ever produced with a food processor or a knife.  You will develop a stronger arm than you may have thought possible, but there is no way to get the smooth consistency you get with a mortar and pestle with food processor. 

I’m beginning to think of myself as a kitchen luddite. 

Recipe – Charmoula

Ingredients

2 bunches cilantro, leaves separated and roughly chopped

1 bunch parsley, leaves separated and roughly choppoed

4 cloves garlic, peeled

2  tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander seeds

1  tsp paprika

1/8 tsp cayenne

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

salt

Directions

Separate the leaves from the stems for the cilantro and parsley the best way you can.  I recommend the colander method.  Roughly chop your leaves but don’t get carried away.  Set aside.

Toast the cumin and coriander in a skillet on the stove for about two minutes, until they become fragrant.  Set aside to cool. When they are cool, grind to a fine powder and add the paprika and coriander. 

While that’s happening, put the garlic and salt into a mortar and pestle and grind until the garlic is a loose paste.  Add a handful of the chopped herbs and grind until the herbs liquify.  Add more and repeat.  Continue until all the herbs are reduced to a thick paste.  Add the spices, olive oil, and lemon juice mix thoroughly.  Taste for salt.  When you get the right taste and consistency, chill until ready to use.