Why Simple Organization Makes Gourmet Cooking a Breeze (Yes, Even on Weeknights)
When you think Japanese cuisine, you also think Middle Eastern right? … Right? Me neither! Yet this dish was the brainchild of one of my covid quarantine musings. I had a freezer full of beautiful salmon filets, a tub of white miso paste, cucumbers I needed to use soon, and a hankering for Israeli couscous. The only solution to satisfying my cravings was to find a way to bring some Japanese/Middle Eastern fusion to the Beehive kitchen: salmon baked in a spicy miso sauce, served over a ginger garlic pearl couscous with pickled red onion, cucumber relish, and a honey sriracha mayo. Totally run of the mill… Happily, my wild idea was a big hit with the hubby and it will definitely make the meal rotation going forward.
The beautiful thing about this meal is that it feels very high end but thanks to a little organization in advance, even the multiple components were a breeze to throw together. In under an hour, I was serving a gourmet main course with a complex balance of flavors, that made both my husband and I feel full and satisfied without any of the guilt of eating out. What a great way to make a weeknight feel extra special… without too much effort!
The trick with a complex dish like this it to begin with a “mise en place”. “Mise en place” literally means to “put in place” in French. Both Ben and I work long hours, so we rarely have time to spend more than 60 minutes on dinner. Having an organized approach and knowing when to start each step makes getting amazing meals on the table in under an hour an easy reality.
Getting organized to cook can seem unnecessarily daunting, but following these easy steps can make the process relatively simple.
Always check to see if protein needs to be marinated. Steak and chicken can be put in a marinade in the fridge before going to work or even overnight if needed. If the marinade has an acid in it, do not exceed 24 hours. If you don’t remember to marinate in advance, no worries! Even 10-15 minutes can make all the flavor difference. With seafood, you can marinade on the counter for 20-30 minutes, or 4 hours in the fridge.
Once you have the marinade situation figured out, preheat your oven. For most home ovens, this can take 15-20 minutes to get up to temperature. This is the perfect time to quick marinate your protein, and/or prepare your mise en place. It’s also a good opportunity to start boiling your water for any rice, potatoes, etc. you may be making. To prepare your mis en place, slice all of your vegetables and aromatics and arrange them in the order you will be using them. If possible, portion out spices and liquid seasonings as well. Mix liquid ingredients in advance. This ensures they are fully blended and ready when you need them. Use small bowls or dishes to separate ingredients and make it simple to “dump and go” when it’s time to use them.
If you are cooking a starch or carbohydrate, determine if it needs more or less time than cooking your protein. If it needs more, start it first. As a rule of thumb with potatoes, rice, couscous, and quinoa, I always start them first no matter how long or short my other cooking times may be. The good news here is that these starches and grains maintain their heat if you keep them covered until the rest of the meal is done.
While meat and carbs are cooking, work on your finishing sauces and other sides. If a sauce is meant to be drizzled over a dish, I often do this as the last step while I’m letting meat rest or waiting on something to finish baking. If you finish a component a little early, tin foil wrapping or a low heat oven under 250 degrees are your friends.
It’s taken me a few years to figure out a solid operating cadence in the kitchen, but now it’s become second nature. My routine allows for even complex dishes to be made in record time, no matter how busy my day has been or how late I get home. As a wonderful bonus, I’m able to interact with my husband and my kiddos in between these steps, and engage them to help me. If I have between 30-60 minutes, I can guarantee a delicious, restaurant quality meal without the hassle and all the flavor!
Organizing Checklist
- Marinate protein
- Preheat oven
- Start water boiling
- Prepare your mis en place
- Cook your protein and sides
- Make your sauces
Spicy Miso Salmon with Ginger Garlic Couscous
Ingredients
Salmon and Marinade
- 4 filets salmon
- 3 Tbsp white/lite miso paste
- 3 Tbsp lite soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1-3 tsp sriracha (to taste)
- 2 Tbsp honey
Ginger Garlic Couscous
- 1 cup Israeli couscous
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated (about a 2" piece)
- 3 bunches scallions, sliced with green and white parts separated
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup Persian cucumber, diced
Quick Pickled Onions
- ½ small red onion, sliced in thin 1 inch pieces
- 3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp white sugar
Honey Sriracha Mayo
- 2 Tbsp sriracha
- 2 Tbsp mayo, preferably a Japanese mayo such as Kewpie
- 1 tsp honey
- Optional: toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Prepare the salmon marinade by whisking miso paste, sesame oil, sriracha, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and soy sauce (coconut aminos) together in a small bowl.
- Place salmon filets in a shallow dish and pour miso sauce over top. Allow to marinade for 20-30 minutes.
- While fish marinates, prepare your other ingredients. To make the honey sriracha sauce, mix mayo, sriracha, and honey in a small bowl. Add a teaspoon or so of water to give the sauce a "drizzly" consistency.
- Once salmon is done marinating, place each salmon filet in a foil packet with a few spoonfuls of sauce/marinade over top. Seal the packet and bake for 25 minutes.
- Start your couscous while fish bakes. Add a tablespoon of butter to a medium pot over medium high heat. Once melted, add scallion whites and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add grated ginger and minced garlic and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add dry couscous and toss to fully coat in butter and toast slightly, 2-3 minutes. Add 1 ½ cups of water and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook an additional 15-18 minutes until liquid is fully absorbed.
- To make your quick pickled red onions, put red onion pieces, 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, and 1 teaspoon white sugar in a microwave safe bowl. Toss to coat fully. Microwave on high for 3 minutes until onions are soft and bright pink. Pour off any excess vinegar and set aside to cool slightly.
- When couscous is done, add diced cucumbers and pickled red onions. Add additional salt and pepper as needed.
- When salmon is done baking, spoon a teaspoon of cooked marinade over top and remove from foil packet.
- To service, place salmon filet over a healthy portion of couscous. Drizzle with honey sriracha mayo, and garnish with scallion greens and optional sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
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