Dukkah is a unique and wonderful seasoning. The actual word is Egyptian in origin, translating “to pound” which is exactly what happens when the spice is prepared. I’ve come across several different versions of it depending on the author and the region of North Africa and the Middle East they’re from or they’ve visited. But in essence it is a combination of nuts and spices (especially seed spices) which ends up giving a delicious crunchy texture in addition to the flavor it bequeaths the dish it meets. You should keep some on hand because it falls into one of those seasonings which can be added to almost everything and make it better.
In this recipe, I’m using dukkah from Sahadi’s in New York along with a bit of orange blossom honey to dress the salmon. The recipe is easy, take a good piece of salmon, coat it with the dukkah and then cook it till the level of doneness you prefer. Place it over some salad veggies and then drizzle it with a cocotion of the honey and a bit of lemon juice and eat it immediately with a cold glass of white wine or bubbly.
For those of you that want to try Sahadi’s dukkah and honey use this code sahadisummer18 that they’ve provided. (4 Sahadi Honeys and Dukkah are 10% off with code through the end of July ($10 minimum order is required).
Remember be generous with dukkah, no one will complain!
dukkah coated salmon
makes 4 servings
ingredients
4 salmon fillets (about 3 X 4 inch in size)
1 Tbsp fine sea salt
1/4 cup dukkah (you might use less or more)
4 Tbsp olive oil plus extra to grease the baking sheet
2 cups chopped lettuce (I prefer crispy lettuce heads but choose any type of salad greens you want)
1 avocado, chopped
fresh cilantro to garnish
1 lemon, cut into wedges
for the dressing
2 Tbsp orange blossom honey
juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black or white pepper
Preheat your oven to 425F.
Line a baking sheet with foil. Grease the surface with a little oil.
Check the fish fillets for any scales or bones and remove if present. Pat the fillets with clean pape towel to absorb any liquid. Place the fish on the baking sheet. Then season the top fillets with the salt (about 1/2 tsp per fish), Take 2 Tbp of dukkah and sprinkle it on the top of the fish fillet, pressing gently to secure the seasoning. Drizzle a Tbsp of olive oil over each fish and cook in the preheated oven till you reach the desired level of doneness (rare: about 3 to 4 minutes, you can a bit longer if you want it cooked more, just watch it as it will cook fast). Remove the sheet from the oven and immediately transfer to a cool plate (or the fish will keep cooking on the hot pan).
In the mean time prepare the dressing, mix the honey, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
To serve, divide the lettuce and avocado between 4 serving bowls. Place a fish filet on top. Drizzle a little bit of the dressing as needed over the fish. Garnish with the lemon wedges and cilantro and serve immediately.
Note: I personally don’t season the lettuce and the avocado before but if you like to do that by all means go ahead. I find the salt and acid from the dressing to be sufficient.
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Sahadi’s. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
