Salmon Teriyaki with Apricot and Almond Couscous

I had this salmon at a brilliant seafood restaurant while on holiday and decided to replicate it at home. Next I had to decide what to serve with it. I wanted something with texture, colour and a tartness to balance the teriyaki sauce. Although not strictly conventional, this couscous recipe works well to complete the meal. I add mange tout or stir fried pak choi (so easy to grow in your garden or window box) when in need of a green veg to accompany the meal.

This teriyaki marinade is so versatile; see my variations for pork and chicken at the bottom of the recipe.

4 salmon steaks

¼ cup soy sauce

1/3 cup water

¼ cup light brown sugar

2T white vinegar

1 clove garlic finely minced using a garlic press

1t freshly grated ginger

Combine all the ingredients, except for the salmon in a pan. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and marinate the salmon for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Bake the salmon for about 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your steaks. Serve with the apricot and almond couscous recipe.

Tip: you can plate this dish to look like a restaurant offering. Using a large white plate,  place the couscous in the middle using a plating ring to mould it. Then place the salmon at an angle to the side. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Apricot and Almond Couscous

700ml chicken or vegetable stock

350g couscous

Grated rind of ½ a lemon

3T extra virgin olive oil

55g toasted flaked almonds

70g dried apricots, chopped

2T chopped fresh parsley

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Boil the stock in a saucepan. Pour in the couscous in a thin stream and stir in the lemon rind. Cover the pan, remove from heat and leave for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork after 2 minutes.

Drizzle over olive oil and stir in almonds, apricots and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Variations

This marinade works well with chicken and pork.

When cooking chicken, I use cashew nuts and dried peaches in the couscous.

When cooking pork, I use dried apples, fresh pomegranate seeds and pistachio nuts in the couscous.