Cajun-spiced salmon with couscous & minted yogurt

* Ingredients
* 100g chargrilled capsicum or chargrilled peppers in oil
* 500g skinless salmon fillets, cut into 4cm pieces
* 3 tsp Cajun spice mix
* 375ml (1 1/2 cups) chicken stock
* 290g (1 1/2 cups) couscous
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
* 130g (1/2 cup) Greek-style natural yoghurt
* 2 tbs water
* 2 bunches broccolini, ends trimmed
* Lemon wedges, to serve
* Fresh coriander sprigs, to serve


1. Drain the capsicum, reserving 2 tablespoons of oil. Coarsely chop. Combine the salmon, 1 tablespoon of reserved oil and 2 teaspoons of spice mix in a bowl. Place the stock and remaining spice mix in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil. Add the couscous. Cover and set aside for 3 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Add the chopped capsicum and remaining reserved oil. Season with salt and pepper. Use a fork to separate the grains.

2.Meanwhile, combine the mint, chopped coriander, yogurt and water in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a large non-stick frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the salmon. Cook for 3-4 minutes each side or until golden and almost cooked through.

3.Cook the broccolini in a saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp. Drain. Divide the couscous mixture and broccolini among serving dishes. Top with the salmon and yoghurt mixture. Serve with lemon wedges and coriander sprigs.

Chicken Couscous

Ingredients list for chicken couscous recipe

One whole chicken

Smen or ghee

Onions

Coriander cilantro

Spices and water

How to make the chicken couscous recipe

Mix salt pepper turmeric ginger mace nutmeg cinnamon cardamon pods


To make smen get unsalted butter, warm it to room temperature, wash it with cold water to drain off excess milk, add one teaspoon of salt to every cup of butter, store in clean glass containers and let set in a dark cool place, not the fridge, for at last 2 months or more.

Chop the onion and cilantro

Mix the spices together with the coriander and pour over the chicken to marinade for three hours or overnight.

You need a steamer or cousocousier, or use a sieve over a saucepan with a lid on top of the sieve. You might need to put a cloth over the holes if they are too big for the couscous grain.

Mix water with 2 tbs of salt and pour over the raw couscous. Let it soak in for half an hour then fluff it up with your hands.

Slice two onions, add cinnamon, sugar and orange blossom water. Add raisons and cook until tender, around 25 minutes.

Fluff up the cooled couscous using smen and hands, then steam it again, 2 or 3 times until done.

To serve, place the couscous on a dish, make a hole in the middle and place the chicken and onions in the middle.