Ponzu Grilled Salmon with Golden Beet Couscous

This dish highlights the wild salmon so abundant in Seattle, and the many cultural influences (chief among them Asian) that coalesce in Pacific Northwest cuisine.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and 3/4 cup couscous)

Ingredients

• Couscous:
• 1  teaspoon  extravirgin olive oil
• 2  tablespoons  thinly sliced peeled shallots (about 1 large)
• 8  ounces  small golden beets, thinly sliced, peeled, and quartered (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1  cup  uncooked Israeli couscous
• 2  cups  water
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1  cup  raw spinach leaves, trimmed
• 
  Sauce:
• 1/2  cup  fresh orange juice
• 2  tablespoons  brown sugar
• 3  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce
• 2  tablespoons  sake (rice wine)
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lime juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  cornstarch
• 1/8  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
• 
  Remaining ingredients:
• 4  (6-ounce) salmon fillets with skin (about 1 inch thick)
• Cooking spray
• Lime wedges (optional)

Preparation

Preheat grill.

To prepare couscous, heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and beets; sauté 5 minutes or until shallots are tender and just beginning to brown. Stir in couscous; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add water and salt; cover and simmer 8 minutes or until couscous is tender. Remove from heat; stir in spinach. Toss gently until combined and spinach wilts. Keep warm.

To prepare sauce, combine orange juice and next 6 ingredients (through red pepper) in a small saucepan, stirring well with a whisk; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 1 minute.

To prepare fish, brush cut sides of fillets with 1/4 cup sauce; place, skin sides up, on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill salmon, skin sides up, 2 minutes. Turn salmon fillets; brush with remaining 1/4 cup sauce. Grill 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or desired degree of doneness. Serve with couscous and lime wedges, if desired.

Wild Alaskan salmon is in season this time of year, and you can find it in supermarkets and fish markets across the country. Its rich flavor is worth paying a bit more. The ponzu sauce may be made up to a day ahead and refrigerated. Golden beets add sweetness and beautiful color, but don't stain like red beets. Israeli couscous has lovely pearl-like grains that are much larger than regular couscous. Use regular couscous if you can't find Israeli.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

500 (22% from fat)

Fat:

12.4g (sat 1.9g,mono 4.5g,poly 4.6g)

Protein:

41.4g

Carbohydrate:

51.6g

Fiber:

4.1g

Cholesterol:

94mg

Iron:

3mg

Sodium:

828mg

Calcium:

60mg