Middle Eastern · main

Harissa Salmon with Blistered Chickpeas

Harissa Salmon with Blistered Chickpeas reads sweetness 6.2, sourness 5.8 and citrus 5.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Middle Eastern main, about 20 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 5.4 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 6.4 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 7.5 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 3.3 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.2 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sweetness 6.2 · Sourness 5.8 · Citrus 5.7 · Nutty 4.8 · Umami 4.7 · Richness 4.6 · Floral 3.9 · Salinity 3.5 · Allium 3.4 · Herbaceous 3.1 · Earthy 3.0 · Warm Spice 1.9 · Bitterness 1.6 · Funk & Ferment 1.5 · Marine & Briny 1.5

What's in it (12)

• chickpeas — 439 g
• olive oil — 41 g
• cumin — 5 g
• salt — 5 g
• salmon fillets — 680 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
• sesame seed paste — 54 g
• honey — 30 g
• garlic — 9 g
• lemons — 130 g
• nonfat plain yogurt — 118 g
• cilantro leaves — 15 g

Time & effort: about 20 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 217 kcal, 16.4 g protein, 6.8 g fat, 22.7 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pat the chickpeas very dry with a towel — this is what lets them blister in the pan instead of steaming.
2. In a 12-inch oven-safe skillet (cast iron is ideal) over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the chickpeas, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt; cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the chickpeas are blistered and lightly golden, 6-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Whisk together the harissa paste, honey, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small bowl to make the glaze.
4. In a separate small bowl, whisk the yogurt with the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and a pinch of salt; set aside as the cooling sauce.
5. Season the salmon fillets on both sides with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the black pepper.
6. Wipe out the skillet, return it to medium-high heat, and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Lay the salmon skin-side down in the hot skillet and sear undisturbed until the skin is deeply golden and releases easily from the pan, 4-5 minutes.
7. Flip the fillets, scatter the blistered chickpeas back into the skillet around the salmon, and brush the harissa glaze generously over the top of each fillet.
8. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the salmon is just opaque at the center and flakes easily with a fork (internal temperature of 125-130°F for medium), 5-7 minutes.
9. Let the salmon rest in the pan 2 minutes, then drizzle with the yogurt sauce, scatter the cilantro over the top, and serve straight from the skillet with lemon wedges.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Vegetable Tagine with Argan Oil (Tagine Khodra) — Moroccan
• Harissa-Glazed Pork Chops — Middle Eastern
• Crispy Harissa Chicken Wings — Middle Eastern
• Roasted Green Beans With Greek Dressing — Greek
• Brown Butter Sage Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash — Italian

Keep reading: what sweetness, sourness, citrus mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.