Moroccan Fish with Roasted Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad
This chile pepper gets its name from its origin. In Spanish, serrano is an adjective meaning “from the mountains” which is where it originated-in the mountains of Hildalgo, Mexico. The serrano is normally about twice as hot as Jalapeno (about 10,000 to 15,000 Scoville units). It is the second most popular chile pepper in Mexico. This chile is used mostly for salsas but can also be used in soups, sauces, chili or stews. Try these as a hotter substitute for Jalapeno.
Ingredients
For the Lentil Salad
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons honey, divided
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon orange juice, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 cups prepared brown, green, or black (beluga) lentils
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped or whole (I just kept them whole)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2/3 cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup fresh curly parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon full-fat coconut milk
2 teaspoons harissa spice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
For the Moroccan Fish
1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 fresh serrano pepper, seeds removed, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon harissa spice
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Make the Lentil Salad
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small baking dish, toss together the sweet potatoes, honey, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of the orange juice, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt until evenly coated. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, mix together the lentils, feta, apricots, almonds, red onion, and parsley. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 tablespoon orange juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, apple cider vinegar, orange zest, coconut milk, harissa spice, garlic, cinnamon, and ginger. Pour over the lentil mixture, add the sweet potatoes, and then stir together or mix with your hands until well-coated. Cover and refrigerate until cool.
Make the Moroccan Fish:
Pat the fish dry and place it skin-side down in a shallow dish.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cilantro, serrano pepper, salt, garlic, harissa spice, black pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice. Pour it over the fish, making sure that both sides get coated. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade for serving. Cover and let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour (by the time the fish is done marinating, your lentil salad should be nice and cold in the refrigerator).
In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Remove the marinated fish from the dish and dust with flour, shaking off any excess. Fry each fillet for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Top each fillet with 1 tablespoon of the reserved marinade and serve immediately with the cold lentil salad.
Notes
*To reduce prep time, let the lentil salad cool in fridge and the fish marinate at the same time. The lentil salad can even be made ahead of time.
From soilandsea.com