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Salmon with moroccan quinoa and quail eggs

Another recipe from jamie's latest magazine. I have now done this a couple of times, aside form a bit of a fear of claggy quinoa (not a nice sight) on one occasion, this has been a bit of a hit. It can be prepared a bit ahead of time and is pretty good cold too.
It's perfect for a sunny Sunday lunch in the garden ....aaah but that would require a sunny sunday lunch! Oh well have it anyway.

Serves 4

Ingredients

300g quinoa or couscous
1 preserved lemon
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp pistachios
1 fennel bulb finely sliced
a handful of black olives pitted
1/2 a bunch each of mint, flat leafed parsley leaves picked and finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
extra virgin olive oil
6 quail eggs
600g salmon fillet
2 tbsp rose harissa (Belazu is good) or harissa plus extra to serve

Method

1. Add quinoa and preserved lemon to a pan of boiling water and cook according to packet instructions ... usually boil for around 20 mins then allow to steam dry
2. Meanwhile toast the cumin seeds and pistachios in a dry pan till golden then bash with a tablespoon of salt in a pestle nd mortar until you have a kind of flavoured rough salt
3. drain the quinoa and transfer to a large bowl. Stir through the fennel, olives, and most of the mint and parsley. Dress with the lemon juice and a good drizzle of olive oil, the season to taste
4. Cook the quails eggs in a small pan of boiling water for 2 minutes then run under cold water and set aside.
5. Heat a large non-stick pan over a high heat. Meanwhile rub the salmon all over with the harissa, then place in the pan skin side down. You want to get the skin super crisp, almost cooked through. When perfectly crisp, turn and cook for a further few minutes until just cooked through. The whole process should take 15-18 minutes.
6. Spread the dressed quinoa over a platter. Carefully break the salmon into large lobes and scatter over the salad. Cut the quail eggs in half then dot over the salad. Sprinkle with the cumin salt, remaining herbs and fennel tops. Serve with little pots of harissa on the side

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Comments

Anonymous said…
Delicious Sunday Lunch - not entirely sunless. Of course I can't ever completely follow instructions so added five lemons as we are addicted to these yellow orbs and put my wild salmon on a maple wood plank on my bbq - now that is something you can do in Vermont merely armed with a saw. I tried to upload the photo of the salad in my beautiful Simon Pearce bowl but failed. Now, that is a wonderful place to have lunch in Quechee and the walk down the gorge is fun too. Lulu
August 27, 2012 at 9:24 PM
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