Sauteed Salmon with Sweet Potato, Papaya Rougaille, and Israeli Couscous

Ingredients

Papaya Rougaille:

• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 inch disk fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 papaya, or 1/4 cantaloupe and 6 strawberries, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 bunch green onions (scallions), finely chopped
• 1/2 lemon or lime, juiced
• 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/8 cup olive oil

Couscous:

• Salt
• 1/2 pinch Spanish saffron
• 8 1/2 ounces Israeli cous cous
• 1 large sweet potato, diced and cooked in salted water
• 1/2 zucchini, diced and cooked in salted water
• 1/2 large roasted red pepper, peeled, seeded and cut into small dice
• 1 1/2 ounces butter
• 3 shiitake mushrooms
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

Salmon:

• 5 (5 1/4-ounce) salmon fillets
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Fried spaghetti, for garnish

Directions

To make the rougaille: Combine the onions, ginger, tomatoes, papaya, garlic, and green onions. Add lemon or lime juice, red wine vinegar, 1/8 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix this up 2 to 3 hours before serving, and let stand, covered, but not in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the couscous: Fill a saucepan about 3/4 full with water, a little salt, then a little saffron for color. Bring to a boil, add the couscous and cook for about 2 minutes. Wash the couscous with cold water and drain well. Drain the sweet potato and zucchini and add to the couscous. Stir in the red pepper.

Heat the butter in a small pan and saute the shiitake mushrooms with the garlic, onion, and cumin. When the mushrooms are soft, add the mixture to the couscous. Place the couscous in a baking dish and keep warm in the oven.

Season salmon with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a pan and saute the salmon fillets for 1 minute per side for medium rare. Serve the salmon on a bed of couscous. Heap the rougaille over salmon. Garnish with lengths of fried spaghetti, so that they are reaching up from the salmon.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The FN chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.