Braised in a low oven, I make my Harissa Braised Salmon with preserved lemons, olives, and pearl onions. Originally, this sauce was only going to be a marinade for the salmon but the ingredients were so amazing that I didn’t want to waste them. So, what was a marinade became my braising liquid and with the addition of the olives, preserved lemons, and pearl onions, makes the most amazing sauce.
Harissa is one of my favorite condiments. Smoky, and spicy with a good kick of garlic and spices it wakes up the flavors of any meats, fishes or veggies. From Northern Africa, Harissa can be anywhere from mild to fiery hot, for salmon I chose to make a milder Harissa so as to not overwhelm the flavor of the fish.
I show you how to make Harissa from scratch, but a high-quality store-bought Harissa is a good substitute.
I was actually hungry for fish and chips in one form or another. I rarely make the deep-fried, battered fish and chips at home, but often enough when I make fish I’ll make a potato recipe to go with it. Since I made pan-fries for this recipe I made a Harissa Ketchup to go with them. It’s easy enough, 50/50 ketchup and Harissa sauce is all it was.
See my Moroccan Preserved Lemons recipe HERE, or if you don’t have preserved lemons and can’t find them in the store, sliced lemon peel and an extra pinch of salt will be a good substitute.
Here is my Harissa Poached Salmon recipe
Harissa Braised Salmon
Ingredients
Harissa Paste
- 10 Dried Guajillo Chiles Reconstituted and seeded
- 1 Red Bell Pepper Roasted and seeded
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds Toasted
- 1 Teaspoon Coriander Seeds Toasted
- 1/2 Teaspoon Caraway Seeds Toasted
- 2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika
- 2 Teaspoons Garlic Crushed and chopped
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
Harissa Braised Salmon
- 1 Pound Salmon Skin removed
- 1/2 Cup Harissa Paste Store-bought is a good substitute
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Cup Kalamata Olives Pitted
- 1/2 Cup Green Olives Pimento-stuffed
- 1/4 Cup Pickled Pearl Onions
- 1/2 Preserved Lemon Peels Flesh removed
Garnish
- 1/4 Cup Flat-Leaf Parsley Chopped
Instructions
Harissa Paste
- Place chiles in a bowl and cover with boiling water for 20 minutes, remove seeds and place in a food processor
- Roast red Bell pepper over open flames until the skin is charred. Place in a covered bowl until cool. remove skin and seeds, add to the food processor
- Place the seeds in a dry pan over medium-high heat and toast for 3-4 minutes. Place in a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder
- Add all ingredients to the food processor and grind to a smooth paste
Harissa Braised Salmon
- preheat oven to 300F
- Add all ingredients to an ovenproof dish small enough so the braising liquid is halfway to the top of the salmon
- Place in the oven for approximately 45 minutes, until sauce is bubbling and the fish is firm to the touch
Nutrition
