The salmon at the market looked irresistible so off I went. I feel like I often pick my meals the same way I pick my outfits, one item jumps out at me and then I base the rest of the components around it. Thus I had my start - salmon. I considered doing an asian-flavored version with a panko crust but then was struck by a hankering for Mediterranean and decided to run with it.
I started with a bunch of tomatoes. I love tomatoes, but in the winter get frustrated by the hard, pink, mealy orbs parading around as tomatoes and often ignore them completely until the "true/good" fruits reappear in June. So I think I might have found a way around my tomato drought. I took six tomatoes, sliced them in half and tossed them with a bit of salt and pepper, 1/2-1 teaspoon sugar, fresh basil (a few leaves shredded), fresh thyme, three cloves finely chopped garlic and a drizzle of olive oil.
Arrange the tomatoes face down on a baking sheet and put in a 250 degree oven for 3 hours, or until shrunken and caramelized (see below).
To make the couscous toss a cup of Israeli couscous in a pot and toast it over the burner for a few minutes until it turns golden brown. Add in 1 cup chicken stock and 3/4 water. Cover and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes until done but still al dente (no one likes mushy Israeli couscous). Zest a lemon and toss the finely grated zest in with the couscous, replace lid and let the flavors marry until you are ready to eat.
For the salmon, I used two filets and added salt and pepper and a smidge of olive oil and finished them by adding a few sprigs of thyme on top.
Then I put them in the oven to roast for about 12 minutes (10-15 depending on the thickness of your filets). Et voila!
To finish I laid my salmon filet on a little bed of couscous and topped it with the roasted tomatoes and some kalamata olives for a little Mediterranean kick.
I was inspired by a recipe from Gourmet that you can find
here.
The salmon at the market looked irresistible so off I went. I feel like I often pick my meals the same way I pick my outfits, one item jumps out at me and then I base the rest of the components around it. Thus I had my start - salmon. I considered doing an asian-flavored version with a panko crust but then was struck by a hankering for Mediterranean and decided to run with it.
I started with a bunch of tomatoes. I love tomatoes, but in the winter get frustrated by the hard, pink, mealy orbs parading around as tomatoes and often ignore them completely until the "true/good" fruits reappear in June. So I think I might have found a way around my tomato drought. I took six tomatoes, sliced them in half and tossed them with a bit of salt and pepper, 1/2-1 teaspoon sugar, fresh basil (a few leaves shredded), fresh thyme, three cloves finely chopped garlic and a drizzle of olive oil.
Arrange the tomatoes face down on a baking sheet and put in a 250 degree oven for 3 hours, or until shrunken and caramelized (see below).
To make the couscous toss a cup of Israeli couscous in a pot and toast it over the burner for a few minutes until it turns golden brown. Add in 1 cup chicken stock and 3/4 water. Cover and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes until done but still al dente (no one likes mushy Israeli couscous). Zest a lemon and toss the finely grated zest in with the couscous, replace lid and let the flavors marry until you are ready to eat. 
For the salmon, I used two filets and added salt and pepper and a smidge of olive oil and finished them by adding a few sprigs of thyme on top.
Then I put them in the oven to roast for about 12 minutes (10-15 depending on the thickness of your filets). Et voila!
To finish I laid my salmon filet on a little bed of couscous and topped it with the roasted tomatoes and some kalamata olives for a little Mediterranean kick.
I was inspired by a recipe from Gourmet that you can find here.
Gorgeous! And yummy! Funny, last night I had Mediterranean salmon with asparagus and mushrooms. Here's how I did it: Cut open thawed-from-frozen fillet of salmon, plop on pan. Wash asparagus and mushrooms, but don't cut them!, and plop in other pan. Drizzle Spanish olive oil over stuff in both pans. (I was in a crazy mood, so I also sprinkled garlic salt, pepper and some provencal herbs, or whatever is in that one bottle, onto the salmon.) Cook till something smells like it's burning. Cut a piece of salmon off and chop it into tiny pieces on a separate plate for the one cat who goes completely mental for cooking fish before she shreds all clothes you are wearing. For a Mediterranean kick, eat meal in freezing apartment in a noisy city that lies on the Mediterranean Sea and hope that standing up near the open oven door keeps you warmer than the heater that blows hot air only two feet around its own self.
ReplyDeleteYOU are an inspiration. Beautiful.
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