Harissa Honey Salmon with Lemony Chickpeas

Growing up we ate a lot of seafood but oddly we never ate salmon. My mom always thought salmon was too fishy and thought she didn’t enjoy it. What she did realize is she was having poorly seasoned, overcooked salmon! As I got older and went off on my own I began to experiment with salmon more and more and it quickly became a weekly staple in my house. This week I did a big food shops at Trader Joes and to my surprise the place wasn’t packed! I was able to take my time and peruse the isles and look for inspiration. A jar of Harissa jumped out at me! Working in restaurants over the years I had gotten familiarized with Harissa and all its deliciousness. Harissa is a North African pepper spread that has wonderful spices and garlic running through it as well. It is a gorgeous bright red color and it goes so well on seafood, poultry and red meat! This Harissa glaze is sweet, pleasantly spicy and super flavorful! The braised chickpeas have delicate leeks and fennel throughout, a nice warm from the toasted almond and a perfect bright finish from the lemon and parsley. This is a great weeknight meal or even the perfect Date Night meal as it looks and tastes super impressive! Valentines Day is tomorrow friends..wink wink!

Ingredients:

Lemony Chickpeas-

• 1/2 Medium Leek, quartered and thinly sliced (be sure to wash thoroughly)

• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 Medium Bulb Fennel, quartered and thinly sliced

• 1 Large clove of Garlic, minced

• 1 Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes

• Dash of Ground Cumin

• 1 can (15.5oz) Can of Chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• Zest of 1 lemon

• Juice of half a Lemon

• 1/2 Cup Chicken Stock (or vegetable stock)

• 1/3 Cup Toasted Slivered or Sliced Almonds

• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, Chopped

Harissa Honey Salmon-

• 1 to 2 Lbs of Salmon Filets (I used Atlantic)

• 2 Tablespoons harissa paste

• 1 Large clove of garlic, minced

• 1 Heaping Tablespoon of Honey

• Salt & Pepper

• 1/8 Teaspoon Cumin

• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice

Garnish: Fresh Chopped Parsley

Steps:

Chickpeas:

• In a small saucepan heat the Olive Oil on medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and fennel and sweat until they start to soften and become fragrant, about 5 minutes.

• Add the minced Garlic, red pepper and dash of cumin and sweat for 1-2 minutes.

• Add the chickpeas, lemon zest, lemon juice and chicken stock and stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

• Put the lid on the pot, lower the heat to low heat and slow cook the mixture about 20 minutes or until the flavors meld together.

• Add the toasted almond and fresh parsley. Taste to adjust seasoning.

Salmon-

• Preheat the oven to 375F Convection or 390F Bake.

• Whisk together the harissa, garlic, honey, lemon juice, dash of salt and pepper and cumin.

• Pat your salmon fillets dry with paper towels and make sure the skin side is down (if you still have the skin on). Using a rubber spatula or spoon spread the harissa glaze on the top and sides of the salmon.

• Bake until cooke to your liking. If filets are roughly an inch or so thick it may only take 15 or so minutes to cook.

• remove form the oven, sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Assemble the dish-

• Scoop some of the lemony chickpeas onto the plate. Using a spatula, place the salmon on top of the chickpeas. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil or even a small squeeze of fresh lemon and enjoy!