Pan Seared Salmon And Couscous Food

PAN-SEARED SALMON WITH SUMMER SUCCOTASH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the sauce: In a medium bowl whisk together the creme fraiche, mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
• For the salmon: Sprinkle the salmon fillets on all sides with the salt. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. With tongs, gently place the salmon, flesh-side down, in the pan. Allow the salmon to cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes to form a golden crust. Using a spatula, gently flip each fillet. Transfer the pan to the oven for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with foil to keep warm.
• For the succotash: Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red peppers and shallots and cook for 4 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon. Add the corn, edamame and salt and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the kale, basil and lemon juice.
• To serve: Spread 2 tablespoons of the sauce in a circle on each serving plate. Top with 1/2 cup of the succotash, and a salmon fillet. Serve with sauce on the side if desired.

SALMON IN A COUSCOUS CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, stir together the parsley, raisins, olives, capers, pine nuts, olive oil, and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper; stir in the couscous to moisten completely and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Put the salmon in a single layer in a smallish buttered gratin dish or baking dish (bottom measured 10 by 7 1/4 inches; 2.8 liter); the fillets should not touch one another. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil. Now spoon the couscous mixture over the top of the fish so that it completely covers them and fills in the whole dish at the same time. Pour over the water. Drizzle with olive oil. Put the dish in the oven and bake 25 minutes. Use a large spoon to spoon out the salmon and the couscous.
• Note: 1 cup couscous plus 1 1/3 cups water is a better quantity to serve 2 if you have a smaller gratin dish or baking dish (remaining quantities are the same).

PAN SEARED SALMON AND COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Preheat the over to 200 degrees. .
• Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper.
• Preheat 2 tablespoons olive oil to smoking over medium high heat in a nonstick 12 inch skillet.
• Place the fillets in the skillet (flesh side down if skin is on) for five minutes. Don't move them around. Wait to form a nice caramelized crust.
• Place seared fillets (flesh side "up" if skin is on) in a baking dish and put on the middle rack of your 200 degree oven for about 15 minutes. This will be long enough for the salmon to cook all the way through.
• Carefully wipe out the skillet with paper towels and put back on medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat until it shimmers.
• Add the couscous to the skillet and stir over the heat until the grains are toasted and light brown. (This is a little tricky. This can go from "raw" to "burnt" in about 2 minutes once the first grains turn tan).
• When the grains are toasted, add the shallots, lemon zest and minced garlic; stir and cook until fragrant ( 30 secs to 90 secs).
• Add the water to the skillet (slowly to avoid splattering) and let the mixture come to a boil. Cover the skillet and let cook for about 12 minutes (long enough for the couscous to absorb all the liquid).
• Once the salmon is in the oven and the skillet full of cous cous is simmering, make a lemon scented chive flavor "drizzling oil" by whisking together 2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon juice and the minced chives. (This sauce makes the dish.).
• When salmon is cooked through and couscous has absorbed all the liquid, add the frozen peas to the cous cous and remove from heat. The peas will defrost in a couple of minutes (golden raisins work well, too).
• Serve the salmon fillets on beds of couscous and pour a bit of the drizzling lemon-oil over each serving. Salt and pepper to taste.