One of the most traditional Moroccan treatments for fish and seafood is to use a marinade called chermoula. Made from a combination of fresh herbs, oil and garlic, it's wonderfully zesty and perfect for dishes such as this one. Fire up your grill for outdoor cooking or plan to use a grill pan instead.

The weight below is for raw shrimp still in the shell prior to cleaning. The prep time indicated does not include the time involved in cleaning and deveining the shrimp. Plan ahead or have your fishmonger do it for you.

Remember to allow time for marinating the shrimp. Also try the super easy Grilled Salted Shrimp Recipe and Shrimp Sauteed in Moroccan Spices.

See Also

Moroccan Grilled Calamari Recipe

Moroccan Tagine of Shrimp in Tomato Sauce

Fried Sardines Stuffed with Chermoula

Ingredients

• 1 kg (2 lb. 3 oz.) fresh large shrimp or prawns, peeled and deveined, tails intact
• === For the Chermoula ===
• 1 large bunch (two handfuls) fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, or more as needed
• juice of 1 small lemon, or to taste
• =============================
• additional lemon juice, as needed
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, as needed

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes

• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Preparation

1. Wash and drain the shrimp. 

2. Make the chermoula by combining the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust as desired. Reserve half of the marinade for later use; cover and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp gently with the remaining marinade. Cover and refrigerate for an hour. 

4. Shortly before cooking time, heat the reserved chermoula in a small sauce pan, thinning to sauce consistency with a little olive oil and lemon juice.

Bring to a simmer for a minute or two then hold warm over low heat until serving time. 

5. If grilling outdoors, preheat your grill to medium. Thread the shrimp onto skewers or arrange them in a grill basket; grill just a few minutes on each side, or until done.

7. If grilling indoors, preheat your grill pan over medium heat until hot. Cook the shrimp in batches by laying flat in a single layer on the pan and turning once, allowing up to several minutes per side.

8. Immediately serve the grilled shrimp with the extra chermoula as a condiment.