Wild Salmon With Pearl Couscous And Slow-roasted Tomatoes

Total Time: 3 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 6 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise (1 pound)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 10 fresh basil leaves
• 12 whole fresh oregano leaves
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest, removed in strips with a vegetable peeler and finely minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 1/4 cups pearl couscous (israeli, 12 ounces)
• 1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (14 fl.oz.)
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 (6 ounce) wild salmon fillets, with skin (preferably center cut)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and quartered lengthwise (3 ounces) or 1/2 cup other brine-cured black olives

Recipe

• 1 roast tomatoes and prepare oil: put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 250 degrees.
• 2 toss tomatoes with sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and arrange, cut sides down, in a small shallow baking pan.
• 3 heat oil in a 9- to 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
• 4 stir in basil and whole oregano leaves, then pour oil over tomatoes.
• 5 roast tomatoes until very tender but not falling apart, 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours.
• 6 transfer tomatoes with a spatula to a large plate, then pour oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl or measuring cup, discarding solids.
• 7 stir in chopped oregano, zest, juice, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
• 8 cook couscous: heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a 3 quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then toast couscous, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and pale golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
• 9 add broth, water, and salt and simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed and couscous is al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes, then stir in 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon oregano oil- season with salt.
• 10 roast salmon while couscous stands: put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• 11 line a 12"x17" shallow baking pan with foil then arrange salmon, skin sides down, in baking pan, then drizzle with olive oil, rubbing it over tops of fillets, and sprinkle with salt.
• 12 roast salmon until just cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes.
• 13 divide couscous among 6 plates.
• 14 lift salmon flesh from skin with a slotted spatula and transfer a fillet to each bed of couscous.
• 15 put 2 tomato halves on each plate, then sprinkle salmon with olives and drizzle with some lemon oregano oil.