INGREDIENTS:
800g leatherjacket fillets, skin off
Extra virgin olive oil, for pan-frying
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 large stalk celery, finely sliced
1 red capsicum, cut into 1cm dice
Salt flakes, to taste
400g canned crushed tomato
½ preserved lemon, rinsed, skin only very finely sliced
10 large green olives, pitted and sliced
Couscous, to serve
Chermoula
1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons salt flakes
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
⅓ cup lemon juice
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
METHOD:
Make Chermoula: finely chop coriander, parsley and garlic in a food processor; add remaining ingredients and process until well combined.
Cut fillets either side of the pin bones, discarding the bones.
Rub some of the chermoula into the fish, cover and set aside for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat about ¼ cup of oil in a tagine or heavy-based frying pan.
Add onion, celery, capsicum and a good pinch of salt and cook over medium-high heat, for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and slightly coloured.
Add tomatoes and their juice, crush with a wooden spoon and boil for a few minutes until slightly reduced.
Add fish and remaining chermoula, submerging the fish in the sauce as much as possible.
Bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until fish is almost opaque all the way through.
Sprinkle with preserved lemon and olives. Cover, remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes; the fish will finish cooking in the residual heat.
Serve with Couscous.