Mediterranean Masterclass: Seared Salmon & Couscous

Mediterranean Masterclass: Seared Salmon & Couscous | Dinner DeeAs

We make a fresh, fast, and flavor-packed dish that brings waterfront dining right to your dinner table.

Executive Chef Ryan VanDusen of LUMA in St. Pete joins the kitchen to solve the boring dinner dilemma with a Mediterranean-inspired feast. This meal features a perfectly seared salmon paired with citrusy Moroccan couscous, a refreshing homemade tzatziki, and a quick vegetable succotash. It is a fresh, fast, and flavor-packed dish that brings waterfront dining right to your dinner table!

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Click here to download a printable copy of the recipes below.

Moroccan Couscous

Ingredients

• 1 cup Moroccan couscous
• 2 cup chicken stock
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ red onion
• 1 spring fresh mint
• ¼ bunch fresh parsley leaves
• 1 orange (zest)
• 1 lemon (zest and juice)
• 1 tbsp kosher salt

Directions

1. Place Moroccan couscous into heat resistant bowl.
2. In pot, bring 2 cups chicken stock to boil.
3. Pour boiling liquid over couscous, mix lightly, and cover with lid or plastic wrap. Let sit 10 minutes to cook.
4. While couscous cooks, small dice red onion, rough chop mint and parsley, and zest orange and lemon.
5. Once finished cooking, fluff couscous with fork and mix in olive oil, diced red onion, mint, parsley, orange zest, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt.
6. Mix until well incorporated and add more salt or olive oil if needed.

Tzatziki (Cucumber Yogurt Sauce)

Ingredients

• ¼ cucumber
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• ¼ shallot
• 1 garlic clove
• ¼ bunch parsley leaves
• 1 spring mint
• 1 half lemon juice
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 pinch salt

Directions

1. Peel and seed cucumber.
2. Run cucumber over coarse side of cheese grater into separate bowl and let sit to drain liquid.
3. In separate bowl, combine yogurt, finely diced shallot, and garlic grated over microplane.
4. Add chopped parsley leaves, chopped mint leaves, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt.
5. Drain any remaining liquid from bowl with cucumbers and combine with yogurt mixture.
6. Mix well.

Baby Zucchini and Cherry Tomato Sauté

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pack baby zucchini
• ½ red onion
• 1 clamshell cherry tomatoes
• 2 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp chicken stock
• 1 numb butter
• 1 pinch salt
• ¼ bunch parsley leaves
• 1 squeeze lemon juice

Directions

1. Cut baby zucchini into quarters lengthwise and slice cherry tomatoes in half. Small dice red onion and mince garlic.
2. In sauté pan, add olive oil until hot.
3. Add zucchini flat side down and cook roughly 1 minute until charred.
4. Add red onion and cook until onion starts to change color, about 1 minute.
5. Add cherry tomatoes and garlic and sauté another minute until tomatoes slightly blister.
6. Pour in chicken stock and let liquid reduce slightly.
7. Add butter and mix until incorporated.
8. Finish with salt, chopped parsley, and squeeze of lemon juice.

Seared Salmon

Ingredients

• 12 oz salmon filet
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Season salmon with salt on both sides.
2. In hot pan, add olive oil until it ripples.
3. Place salmon in pan and sear hard 3-4 minutes until golden color.
4. Flip salmon and finish in oven at 375° F for 5 minutes.
5. To plate, use couscous as base, add vegetables, and place salmon slightly on top.
6. Finish salmon with dollop of tzatziki

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