Moroccan cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Dersa

A mortar-pounded paste of garlic, cumin and paprika, stirred with olive oil into a bold dipping sauce.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1 head garlic
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp paprika (sweet)
• 1 tsp hot paprika
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1/2 bunch cilantro

Instructions

1. Peel all the garlic cloves, remove the green germ and roughly chop the cloves — this keeps the paste mild and free of bitterness.
2. Pound the garlic with the coarse sea salt in a mortar for 3–4 min. until a smooth, almost creamy paste with no lumps forms.
3. Toast the cumin in a dry pan for 1 min. until fragrant, let cool briefly and grind finely in the mortar.
4. Stir in both paprikas and work in the olive oil in a thin stream until a thick, deep red paste forms.
5. Season with the juice of half a lemon and let the paste rest for 10 min. so the sharpness of the garlic mellows.
6. Finely chop the cilantro, fold it in and serve the dersa in a small bowl with warm flatbread or alongside grilled fish.