Wood fire grilled salmon, fetta couscous

Salmon is tasty and healthy and great dish to throw on the Aussie BBQ at anytime of year. Chef Damian Heads and the team from Pony, fire up the BBQ each Friday at The Rocks Market, Sydney. Wood fire grilled salmon, fetta couscous and rocket heads their market menu. This popular dish is on offer each week as the woodfire lends itself so well to the salmon. The idea, says Damian Heads, is to provide tourists, local visitors and regulars to the market with a restaurant quality dish. So popular is the dish that if they happen to sell out, some customers just refuse to have anything else. Just in case you miss out at the markets, here’s Pony’s recipe for you to try at home.

Pony’s wood fire grilled salmon, fetta couscous, rocket, lemon

serves 6

800g – 1kg salmon fillet, pin boned
salt and freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil

Couscous Salad:

350g couscous
150g fetta, Greek style
100g roasted red capsicum
1/2 bunch parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped
1/2 bunch mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped
1/2 bunch shallots, outer leaves removed and stems thinly sliced
1 pinch chilli powder
1 squeeze lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

To Garnish:

500g rocket, washed and spun, leaves checked through
1 each lemon, cut into wedges
200g natural yoghurt

1. Place the salmon skin side down on a cutting board (if you would like the skin off – cut it off with a long sharp cook’s knife from tail to head) cut the fish into 6 equal portions – 120g to 150g

2. Soak the couscous according to the packet directions

3. When cool mix the crumbled fetta, capsicum, herbs, and shallots through the couscous

4. Season with chilli, salt, pepper. Add lemon juice and olive oil and set aside.

5. Pre heat your BBQ or grill plate over a medium to high flame.

6. Season salmon with salt and pepper, coat with oil and grill for 2 – 3 minutes on each side.

7. Divide the couscous between 6 plates. Place a bundle of rocket leaves and a lemon wedge on each plate.

8. Place the freshly grilled salmon on top of the couscous salad.

9. Mix the yoghurt with enough water to loosen it up. Drizzle over the salmon.

Or try one of my variations:

1. Tumble the Bar-B-Qued salmon on good old Aussie pikelets, top with sliced avocado and drizzle with a dill sauce.

2. Slice 2 onions, simmer in 1 cup of red wine and 1/4 cup brown sugar until reduced to a sticky onion jam. Serve with the BBQ salmon and a side of boiled new potatoes tossed in butter and chopped parsley.

3. Slowly reduce 2 cups of cream with 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard. Cook your favourite pasta. Break the BBQ salmon into rough segments and loosely stir with the cream reduction through the pasta. Garnish with a scattering of baby capers.

This recipe and article is published in the March edition of The Rocks newsletter. Clickthru to read the original and see a photo of me with Chef Damian Heads at The Rocks Markets – and – sign up for my monthly recipe in The Rocks monthly newsletter here.

Pony Lounge & Dining
12/10-26 Playfair Street
The Rocks 2000
+61 2 9252 7797