Food Recipes Seared Salmon with Israeli Couscous 4.6 (5) 1 Review This light, easy weeknight dinner is worthy of a dinner party, but quick enough to still enjoy the precious few hours after work. If you’re nervous about cooking skin-on salmon, don’t worry. The key to stress-free fish cooking is to follow this recipe’s instructions for pan seared salmon. By properly heating the oil and allowing the salmon skin to crisp up, it’ll not only make a delicious crust, the skin will release easily. Prep tip: If you’ve got extra time before dinner, this salad benefits from an extra hour of marinating. By Mary Claire Britton Mary Claire Britton Mary Claire Britton is a chef and food stylist. Highlights: * Work has appeared in Real Simple, Coastal Living, Cooking Light, Cooking with Paula Deen, My Recipes, Southern Living, Victoria, and Weight Watchers, among other publications. * Is the chef and owner of Greenhouse, a Birmingham, Alabama fast-casual restaurant. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 14, 2018 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Jennifer Causey Total Time: 30 mins Yield: 4 Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 1 cup whole-wheat Israeli couscous 1 Gala apple, chopped 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems 1 cup baby arugula 1 small red onion, thinly sliced ¼ cup toasted pine nuts 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard 1 tablespoon lemon zest plus 2 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 2 lemons), plus wedges for serving ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more for cooking couscous ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 4 6-oz. skin-on salmon fillets Directions Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add couscous and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain; toss with apple, parsley, arugula, onion, pine nuts, and 2 teaspoons oil in a large bowl. Whisk mustard, lemon zest and juice, 2 tablespoons oil, and teaspoon each salt and pepper. Drizzle over couscous; toss to combine. Set aside. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Season salmon with remaining teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook salmon, skin side down, until crispy, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook to desired doneness, 2 to 3 minutes for medium-rare. Serve with couscous salad and lemon wedges. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 588 Calories 29g Fat 38g Carbs 44g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Calories 588 % Daily Value * Total Fat 29g 37% Cholesterol 90mg 30% Sodium 529mg 23% Total Carbohydrate 38g 14% Total Sugars 5g Protein 44g *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.