Trissalicious

Salmon Tarator

At start of this year I signed up for a 10 day challenge on this site. The idea was each day I would get an email prompting me to take on a small risk, in order to do something that would take me outside my comfort zone. For example:
1. Take a new route to work
2. Try a new exercise
3. Go to an event where you don’t know anyone
4. Reach out to someone and tell them you admire them
5. Try a new food

I particularly liked Challenge 8 which was “try a new recipe”. So here it is. This recipe is from Greg Malouf and I’ve adapted slightly based on the ingredients I had on hand. Sometimes I tend to stick to what I know but I’m glad this challenge prompted me to learn a new way to cook salmon and try new flavours with the “Tarator” crust. To cook this Salmon, you will bake each fillet in a parcel for 12 minutes at 80c then turn the fish over and re-wrap and cook another 12 minutes – then allow the fish to rest. The result is a perfectly moist, cooked salmon. The Tarator crust is as delicious as it is pretty too.

I loved the 10 day challenge, it definitely took me out of my regular routine, I’m thinking that it’s worth doing the challenge once a quarter, just to keep things interesting!

Salmon Tarator

Serves Six

• 6 pieces salmon filets, skin on (250 g each)
• 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tbsp sea salt flakes

Fragrant Salt

• 1/2 tsp each cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom seeds, fennel seeds and nigella seeds
• 1/2 tsp sesame, toasted

Tarator Crust

• 100 grams pine nuts
• 2 small red onions, finely diced
• 1 cup coriander, finely shredded
• 1/2 cup mint leaves, finely shredded
• 3 tsp sumac (I substituted dukkah)

Tahini Sauce

• 100 grams greek yogurt (I substituted labneh)
• 30 ml hulled tahini
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 small garlic clove, diced, mixed with 1 tsp salt

1. Make the fragrant salt by dry roasting the cumin, coriander, cardamom, fennel and nigella seeds in a frying pan for 1 to 2 minutes. Cool. Place the salmon in a tray and spread the salt all over the filets. Cover with plastic and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
2. For the Tarator, toast the pine nuts in the oven at 160 c for 10 minutes or until golden. Once cool, finely chop the pine nuts and mix with the red onion, shredded coriander, mint and sumac (or dukkah). Place in refrigerator until ready to use.
3. Prepare the Tahini sauce by mixing all ingredients together.
4. To cook the fish, pre-heat the oven to 100 c and place each fillet (skin side down)along with 20 ml of olive oil in a sheet of baking paper and wrap in to a parcel. Cook the salmon for 12 minutes then remove from the oven and turn the fish over and wrap again. Cook for another 12 minutes. Once the fish is done, allow to rest for another 10 minutes.
5. To serve, place the fillets on a serving tray, top with the tahini sauce and press the tarator crust in to each of the fillets, on top of the tahini sauce. Mix the 80 ml of olive oil and the other half of the lemon and drizzle over the fillets.

Salmon Tarator