Moroccan Glazed Salmon with Fragrant Quinoa and Cucumber and Mint Yoghurt
I know quinoa has been a bit overdone when it comes to recipes at the minute as its a bit of a 'trendy' food found on lists of 'superfoods' and 'detox ingredients' but frankly I actually like the taste and texture of it and it works really well with North African spicing, so I say why not?!
This dish could be a bit off-putting with the amount of ingredients and instructions but honestly its really easy and definitely worth the effort. Salmon works incredibly well with spices as it's slightly sweet, juicy flavour balances them out, which is boosted by the sweet yet acidic orange in this recipe. Finally, the yoghurt sauce is the perfect accompaniment with its creaminess and freshness lightening up the palate and ending each mouthful on a high.
Moroccan Glazed Salmon with Fragrant Quinoa and Cucumber and Mint Yoghurt
Serves 4
For the salmon:
4 salmon fillets
10g cumin seeds
10g fennel seeds
10g coriander seeds, crushed
25ml olive oil (extra virgin if you prefer)
2 garlic cloves, grated
zest of 1 orange
200ml natural yoghurt
Salt and pepper to taste
For the quinoa:
200g dried quinoa
80g pitted dates, roughly chopped
1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
1tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, grated
pinch of turmeric
pinch of saffron
pinch of ras-el-hanout
pinch of ground cumin
200ml water
200ml orange juice
200ml chicken stock
1 star anise
For the mint and cucumber yoghurt:
½ cucumber
200ml natural yoghurt
1 small bunch mint, chopped
salt and pepper
Toast the cumin seeds, fennel seeds and coriander seeds in a dry pan over a low heat until fragrant. Allow them to cool slightly then mix with the olive oil, garlic and orange zest. Add all the ingredients to the yoghurt and mix thoroughly.
Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil and place the salmon supremes on it (if the skin is not removed, place skin side down). Spread the glaze mix over the top of the salmon on the baking sheet and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 200C.
Meanwhile, in a hard-based pan, caramelise the finely diced shallot in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Now add the grated garlic, turmeric, saffron, ras el hanout, ground cumin, and sweat them for a further minute. After a minute, add the water, orange juice, stock, star anise and bring to the boil. Once boiling, pour in the dried quinoa and reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer very gently for twenty minutes.
Remove the salmon from the fridge and place (skin side down) in a non-stick ovenproof pan with a drizzle of oil, with the glaze facing up. Make sure the pan is smoking hot. Once the bottom of the salmon are charred (approx 2 mins), place the pan in the oven for 4-6 minutes.
Once the quinoa has finished simmering, remove from the heat, stir through the chopped dates with a fork then re-cover and allow to stand for around 10 minutes while the fish finishes cooking.
For the mint and cucumber yoghurt, peel, deseed and dice the cucumber into small cubes. Mix with the yoghurt, chopped mint and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide the quinoa equally amongst four plates then top with the salmon and generously dollop on the cucumber and mint yoghurt. I also served mine alongside some griddles asparagus as it is just fantastic this time of year!
This dish could be a bit off-putting with the amount of ingredients and instructions but honestly its really easy and definitely worth the effort. Salmon works incredibly well with spices as it's slightly sweet, juicy flavour balances them out, which is boosted by the sweet yet acidic orange in this recipe. Finally, the yoghurt sauce is the perfect accompaniment with its creaminess and freshness lightening up the palate and ending each mouthful on a high.
Moroccan Glazed Salmon with Fragrant Quinoa and Cucumber and Mint Yoghurt
Serves 4
For the salmon:
4 salmon fillets
10g cumin seeds
10g fennel seeds
10g coriander seeds, crushed
25ml olive oil (extra virgin if you prefer)
2 garlic cloves, grated
zest of 1 orange
200ml natural yoghurt
Salt and pepper to taste
For the quinoa:
200g dried quinoa
80g pitted dates, roughly chopped
1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
1tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, grated
pinch of turmeric
pinch of saffron
pinch of ras-el-hanout
pinch of ground cumin
200ml water
200ml orange juice
200ml chicken stock
1 star anise
For the mint and cucumber yoghurt:
½ cucumber
200ml natural yoghurt
1 small bunch mint, chopped
salt and pepper
Toast the cumin seeds, fennel seeds and coriander seeds in a dry pan over a low heat until fragrant. Allow them to cool slightly then mix with the olive oil, garlic and orange zest. Add all the ingredients to the yoghurt and mix thoroughly.
Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil and place the salmon supremes on it (if the skin is not removed, place skin side down). Spread the glaze mix over the top of the salmon on the baking sheet and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 200C.
Meanwhile, in a hard-based pan, caramelise the finely diced shallot in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Now add the grated garlic, turmeric, saffron, ras el hanout, ground cumin, and sweat them for a further minute. After a minute, add the water, orange juice, stock, star anise and bring to the boil. Once boiling, pour in the dried quinoa and reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer very gently for twenty minutes.
Remove the salmon from the fridge and place (skin side down) in a non-stick ovenproof pan with a drizzle of oil, with the glaze facing up. Make sure the pan is smoking hot. Once the bottom of the salmon are charred (approx 2 mins), place the pan in the oven for 4-6 minutes.
Once the quinoa has finished simmering, remove from the heat, stir through the chopped dates with a fork then re-cover and allow to stand for around 10 minutes while the fish finishes cooking.
For the mint and cucumber yoghurt, peel, deseed and dice the cucumber into small cubes. Mix with the yoghurt, chopped mint and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide the quinoa equally amongst four plates then top with the salmon and generously dollop on the cucumber and mint yoghurt. I also served mine alongside some griddles asparagus as it is just fantastic this time of year!
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