On the Menu: Grilled Salmon, Shaved Beets, Little Carrots, Radishes and Fennel with Couscous, Scallions and Ginger-Soy Mayonnaise

We can't get enough of this dish which is all about raw, clean freshness.

It's a bed of shaved uncooked vegetables with room-temp couscous, warm salmon and lightly spiced mayo. Fallish, only SF style... meant for our long-boy summers. Citrus, coriander and ginger give it mega legs.

Grilled Salmon, Shaved Beets, Little Carrots, Radishes and Fennel with Couscous, Scallions and Ginger-Soy Mayonnaise (for 6)

This recipe has several parts, but is well worth it. You can make both sauces a day ahead of time if you’d like. Also, to simplify a bit, I've used instant couscous (which is a cinch), and canned chickpeas. The couscous is still very delicious...

Fire-up your grill for the salmon

Couscous with Scallions and Chickpeas

1 cup instant couscous

Sea salt

1 cup water or chicken stock

1/4 cup virgin olive oil

1 lemon, zest and juice

1/2 cup chickpeas, canned

3 scallions, cleaned, whites and greens, cut thinly on the diagonal

Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Bring stock or water to the boil with a good pinch of salt. Pour over the couscous and cover with foil. Let it sit for about 20 minutes. Uncover and drizzle the couscous with olive oil and fluff it with a fork. Stir in the lemon zest, juice, chickpeas and scallions. Taste and season with more salt if necessary. Set aside.

Shaved Salad

1 small chioggia beet

1 small gold beet

2 small colorful carrots, heirlooms are great, washed, leave 1/4-inch stem still

attached

2 radishes, French Breakfast or Easter Egg if possible, washed with 1/4 -inch of

their stem still attached

1 small head of fennel

1 head frisÉe, cleaned, for about 2 cups

Shave beets, carrots, radishes and fennel on a mandolin (or cut as thinly as possible with a knife). Set aside.

Tangerine-Coriander-Ginger Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon sherry or Banyuls vinegar

1 tangerine, fine zest and 2 tablespoons of its squeezed juice

1 small knob of ginger, peeled and grated for 1 tablespoon

1 tablespoon coriander seed, toasted and ground

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup virgin oil

In a small metal bowl whisk vinegar, tangerine zest, juice, ginger and coriander seed with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil. Taste and add more salt if necessary. It should be very bright and well seasoned. Set aside.

Ginger-Soy Mayonnaise

1 egg yolk

1 small lemon, zest and 1 teaspoon squeezed juice

Sea salt

1 cup olive oil

1 small knob ginger, peeled and grated for 1 tablespoon

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

a pinch of sugar

In a small metal bowl whisk the egg yolk with the lemon zest, juice and a small pinch of salt. Slowly drizzle in oil, about a tablespoon at a time, until you have a creamy emulsion. Whisk in ginger, soy sauce and rice vinegar. Taste and add more salt if needed and/or a pinch of sugar for brightness. Set aside.

To Assemble

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

6 salmon filets, about 3/4-inch thick, preferably wild and local

3 tablespoons olive oil

Shaved Vegetables

Tangerine Vinaigrette

Couscous

Mayonnaise

Brush the salmon filets with olive oil and lightly salt and pepper both sides. Grill about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Don’t overcook as the salmon is best medium rare and bright pink in the center. Set aside on a plate, lightly covered with foil.

In a medium bowl toss the shaved vegetables and frisÉe with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette. Taste and salt if necessary. Put a large handful of the salad in the center of each plate. Put about a half cup of the couscous on top of the salad. Lay a salmon filet on top of the couscous and spoon two to three tablespoons of the mayonnaise over the salmon.