Salmon with dill pistou
• side of salmon, skin on • 2 T olive oil or canola oil • 1½ T fish spice, fish rub, or salt and white pepper • bunch of dill for garnish PISTOU • 2 bunches of dill, about 60g, picked • juice and zest of ½ lemon • 1 clove garlic • 12 chives, finely snipped with scissors • ½ cup canola oil; ¼ cup olive oil
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lay the fish on a large baking tray lined with lightly oiled baking paper, skin side down. Rub the oil all over the fillet and season generously with the fish spice. Bake at 200°C for 10 minutes; the fillet will become a lighter pink but the fish should be a darker pink, soft and tender inside. Carefully place the whole fish on your best serving platter, then garnish with the dill pistou, lemon wedges and sprigs of dill.
Blitz the garlic and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor. With the motor running, add the dill, chives, salt (or fish spice), and lemon juice. Add the oils in a thin steady stream. Drizzle over the side of salmon to serve. SALAD • 1½ cups bulgar wheat • 1 cup blanched peas • 2 avocados, peeled and cut into chunks • 4 spring onions, sliced finely on the diagonal • 1 large handful of baby spinach
1 To make the harissa
Lightly toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small pan over moderate heat, stirring regularly until fragrant (about 2–3 minutes). Allow to cool. In a food processor, purée the seeds with the chillies, spring onions, garlic, parsley, coriander and lemon juice. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and finally the salt until you have a smooth paste. To store, press a piece of cling film directly onto the surface of the harissa. Cover and chill. (Makes 1½ cups.)
Bring a deep pot of water to the boil and boil the bulgar wheat for 9–11 minutes. Drain carefully in a small-holed colander or sieve and rinse with cold water to arrest the cooking process. Blanche the peas in boiling water for 1 minute. Rinse with cold water and set aside.
2 3 Assemble the salad
Stir ¾ cup of harissa through the bulgar wheat and season with salt and black pepper. Gently toss the peas, spring onions, avo and baby spinach through the couscous, reserving a little of each ingredient to garnish the top of the salad. Arrange on a beautiful platter. If you like, you can thin down the remaining harissa with ¼ cup olive oil and drizzle a little over the top of the salad.