The inspiration for this colorful traybake is Moroccan-style red chermoula: a bold, warmly spiced sauce, often served with fish. This weeknight-friendly version from Milk Street calls on smoky harissa, a North African chili and spice paste, plus sweet roasted peppers, earthy cumin, bright lemon juice and fresh garlic and parsley, all whirred together in the blender.
Harissa spiciness varies by brand, so a range is suggested. To make the most of the mixture, use it three ways: as a salmon marinade, a seasoning for roasted zucchini and as a sauce for the finished dish. Serve with couscous, rice or warmed flatbreads.
The original recipe called for 1 1/2 pounds of salmon, but we purchased a one-pound piece and cut it in half allowing for 2 servings. If using 1 1/2 pounds, cut the filet into 3 or 4 pieces, or buy them already cut down to 6 ounce servings.
Donāt use large zucchini for this. They tend to contain many seeds and will turn soft and mushy with cooking. Instead, look for medium to small zucchini.
Salmon Traybake with Harissa-Roasted Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup drained roasted red peppers, chopped
- 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus chopped parsley to serve
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, plus lemon wedges to serve
- 1-2 Tbsp. harissa paste
- 1 medium garlic clove, smashed and peeled
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- Kosher salt
- 4 6-oz. center-cut salmon fillets, patted dry
- 3 medium zucchini (about 1Ā½ lbs. total), cut into Ā¼-inch cubes
- 1 ripe medium tomato, cored, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup pitted green olives, chopped
Directions
- Heat the oven to 425Ā°F with a rack in the middle position. In a blender, combine the roasted peppers, parsley, oil, lemon juice, harissa, garlic, cumin and Ā½ teaspoon salt. Puree until smooth, about 30 seconds. Measure out 2 tablespoons, then spread it onto the flesh side of the salmon fillets.
- On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the zucchini with Ā¼ cup of the remaining puree; transfer the rest of the puree to a small bowl for serving. Roast until the zucchini is tender, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle the tomato and olives over the zucchini. Scrape up and stir the zucchini and push it to the edges.
- Place the salmon, skin side down, in the center of the baking sheet. Roast until the flesh flakes easily and the zucchini is lightly charred, and registers 135Ā°F, about 10 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with additional parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and the remaining sauce on the side.
Recipe by Rose Hattabaugh for Milk Street
Accounting for Taste 