Couscous makes a fabulous texture for crumbing in place of the more traditional breadcrumbs. Add sesame seeds and the salmon steaks become exceptionally elegant.

Ingredients

• ½ cup instant couscous
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 4 salmon fillets, about 200 grams each, skinned
• flour for dusting
• 1 egg, beaten with a dash of water

Lemon sesame dressing

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Method

1. Pour ½ cup boiling water over the couscous. Cover and stand for 5 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and leave until quite cold. Mix in the lemon rind, chopped coriander and sesame seeds and season with salt and pepper.
2. Toss the salmon fillets in a little flour and shake to remove any excess. Dip in beaten egg and then couscous mixture, pressing on the crumbs firmly. Allow to sit covered on a plate for 10 minutes to give the crumbs time to adhere.
3. Heat sufficient butter to coat the bottom of a frying pan. When hot, add the salmon, serving side in the pan first. Pan-fry for about 2 minutes each side. Salmon should be served just cooked. To test, carefully break into a piece of fish at the thickest part to check for doneness.
4. Make the Lemon Sesame Dressing. In a screw-top jar, combine lemon juice and rind, sesame oil, olive oil and sesame seeds. Season with pepper and shake well.
5. Serve salmon with steamed greens, e.g. asparagus, snowpeas, beans, broccolini, broccoli, courgettes and peas. Toss with Lemon Sesame Dressing. Serve with a couple of trimmed chives, if wished.