GRILLED SALMON NIÇOISE
WITH PRESERVED LEMON

This is a fun change on the classic tuna Niçoise featuring salmon and our Preserved Lemon BBQ Sauce, which brings a deep citrus flavor to the dish. The recipe will also work well with shrimp, swordfish or fresh tuna in place of the salmon. Don’t worry if you are missing a vegetable or two–you can change things up according to what you have in your fridge and your personal tastes. To vary the flavors, swap the Preserved Lemon BBQ Sauce for our Shawarma or Harissa BBQ Sauce. 

Serves 4

Salmon:

4 skin-on salmon fillets, each 5-7 ounces 

½ teaspoon salt

⅓ cup New York Shuk Preserved Lemon BBQ Sauce

Cooking oil spray

Crispy capers:

⅓ cup capers

¼ cup neutral oil

Green beans:  

1 pound green beans, trimmed 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon New York Shuk Preserved Lemon BBQ Sauce

½ garlic clove, minced

Salt

Serving:

8 ounces mini Persian cucumbers, halved lengthwise, or 4 regular Persian cucumbers, each cut lengthwise into 4 slices 

8 ounces small tomatoes, quartered, or cherry tomatoes, halved 

1 pound mini potatoes, boiled under tender and halved 

Salt

4 eggs, cooked for 6 minutes, peeled and halved lengthwise

New York Shuk Herby Harissa, Fiery Harissa or Rosey Harissa

2 handfuls arugula (about 4 ounces)

1 cup olives, in a variety of sizes and colors

4 radishes, quartered

New York Shuk Preserved Lemon BBQ Sauce for serving

To prepare the salmon, place the salmon in a bowl or on a plate, season with the salt and add the Preserved Lemon BBQ Sauce, covering the entire fish. Heat a stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat. Spray the grill pan and the skin side of the salmon with cooking oil spray. Place the salmon, skin side down, on the pan and cook for 4 minutes. Spray the top of the fish, then flip and cook for 4 minutes longer, or to your preferred doneness. To ensure the salmon does not dry out, it’s important to remove it from the heat before you think it’s actually ready. You can serve the fish at room temperature.

To prepare the fried capers, drain the capers and dry well. Taste the capers; if they are super salty, you can soak them in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain and dry well. If they are not too salty, proceed to the next step.

In a small fry pan over high heat, warm the neutral oil. When it ripples, add a caper; if it sizzles, the oil is hot enough. Add the capers in a single layer, being careful because they can splatter. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 1 minute, then swirl the pan and cook until the capers are crisp, 1-2 minutes longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the capers to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the excess oil.

To prepare the green beans, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and cook until done to your liking (we prefer ours to be completely soft). Drain the beans and pat dry, then transfer to a bowl. Add the olive oil, Preserved Lemon BBQ Sauce and garlic and toss to coat. 

To assemble, season the cucumbers, tomatoes and potatoes with salt. Season the eggs with salt and Herby Harissa. On a large serving platter, layer all of the various components: Start with the arugula and then add the salmon, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, eggs and green beans. Top with the olives and radishes, then sprinkle on the fried capers. Serve more Preserved Lemon BBQ Sauce on the side.