Candied Salmon and Mint Couscous

Of mediterranean inspiration, this recipe blends the taste of the salmon with notes of minty freshness, and the softness of a tomato cream. The low cooking temperature allows the flesh of the salmon to retain all its tenderness and to almot melt under the fork.

Ingredients

Serves 2

  • 2 salmon filets
  • 4 medium-sized tomatoes
  • 2 cups round israeli couscous
  • 1 cup crème fraîche
  • fresh parsley
  • fresh mint
  • fresh thyme
  • olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 320℉ (160℃).

Take the salmon out of fridge, sprinkle with salt and let rest at room temperature.

In a medium saucepan, bring salted water to a boil. Once boiling, place the tomatoes in the water for 30 seconds, remove and chill in a bowl of iced water; let rest for 5 minutes. In a saucepan, bring the crème fraîche and parsley leaves to a simmer under low heat. Peel, cut and seed the tomatoes.

In a saucepan, pour a bit of olive oil and cook the pieces of tomato under medium to high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove the parlsey from the crème, then blend together the crème and tomatoes in a food processor. Pass through a cone sieve to remove the remaining chunks, add salt and pepper to taste.

In a dutch oven, add the raw mint leaves to a quart of water and bring to a boil.

Place the salmon and thyme in a saucepan and pour olive oil until it reaches half the height of the salmon. Cover and bring to a simmer under low heat – this should only take a few minutes. Put the saucepan with the salmon in the oven for 10 minutes. Add the couscous to the boiling minted water, cover and let cook for 10 minutes under medium heat.

Take the salmon out of the oven, place on a paper towel to absorb the oil. Strain the couscous and remove the mint leaves. Once in the plate, sprinkle the couscous with minced parsley. Serve with the tomato cream on the side of the plate or in an individual bowl.