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Warm couscous salad with salmon and mustard-dill dressing
Serves 2, OR 4 FOR SHARING Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 2 x 225g skin-on salmon fillets
- 4tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
- 175g pearl couscous
- 750ml low-salt chicken or vegetable stock
- 150g frozen shelled broad beans or edamame beans
- 2tbsp Dijon mustard
- juice 1 lemon
- 15g picked fresh dill, leaves and fine stems, roughly chopped, plus more for sprinkling
- 60g baby spinach
- 2 spring onions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced, for sprinkling
You will need
- cook's digital thermometer
Method
Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Heat half the oil in a 30cm frying pan over a medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the salmon, skin-side down, and immediately reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for around 6 minutes, pressing down all over gently with a spatula to ensure contact, until the skin is rendered and crisp. If you feel resistance when attempting to lift with a spatula, allow it to continue to cook until it lifts easily.
Flip the salmon and cook for around 1-2 minutes longer, until a cook’s thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 50C for medium-rare or 55C for medium. Transfer the salmon to a kitchen paper-lined plate and allow to cool. Once cooled, flake the salmon using your hands or a fork; discard the skin or crumble it into the dish. If your hands smell, squeeze some lemon juice over them before rinsing with water.
Meanwhile, wipe out the pan with kitchen paper. Add the remaining 2tbsp of oil and heat over a medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and a pinch of salt, then cook for around 2 minutes, until softened. Add the couscous and cook for around 1 minute, stirring, until lightly toasted and fragrant.
Add the stock, stirring to combine and scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Raise the heat, then adjust to maintain an active simmer. Cook for around 12 minutes, until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the couscous is tender. During the last 6 minutes of cooking, stir in the beans and a pinch of salt. Strain any excess liquid.
Meanwhile, in a large serving bowl, mix together the mustard and lemon juice. Stir in the couscous, along with the dill and spinach, stirring to fluff the couscous and wilt the spinach. Stir in the flaked salmon and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with dill and spring onions and serve immediately.
This recipe was taken from the April 2020 issue of Food and Travel.
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