Take Me To Work: Slow Cooked Dry Rub Salmon with Roasted Vegetable Couscous

Sometimes there are recipes that are so good you have to make them again...and again. Like this dry rub recipe that I made from Smitten Kitchen. I made this originally with chicken thighs and it was so delicious. I didn't follow the instructions to the letter and I also didn't bother soaking the chicken in a brine solution. I thought that the chicken thighs were luscious and tender enough, that the brine was not needed. The instructions also called to crisp up the chicken skins at a higher temperature, that step for me is optional too. The skin on these babies are not to be wasted. Afterwards, you make a sauce with lemon juice and vinegar and you have a hearty, flavour-packed chicken meal!

I made this dish today because a friend came over and was craving for roast chicken. I thought that roast chicken is very simple so I decided to make this one again instead. Needless to say that it was a success. I had plenty of leftover dry rub, so I gave half to him and kept half for myself.

Remembering the dry rub that my cousin J did for her salmon crisps, I thought I'd use this dry rub on salmon and also slow cook it. Yup, it came out delicious too.



Ingredients for the Dry Rub - Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen Slow Cooked Dry Rub Chicken

6 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin powder
2 tablespoons garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon salt
cracked black pepper

2 salmon fillets, I used skin on






Steps:
Preheat the oven to 120C. Mix the dry rub together. Wrap a cooling rack with foil. Pat the salmon fillets with the dry rub. Try to pat a thick layer, it helps absorb onto the salmon. Place this in the oven and let cook for 20-30 minutes or until done to your liking. I like mine a little pink in the middle. It makes the salmon very moist and succulent.



I had this dish with a very simple Roasted Vegetable Couscous that I make almost every other week.

Ingredients:

3 carrots, chopped to 1/2 inch chunks or into rounds
2 zucchinis, chopped a bit thicker than the carrots
1 red onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks

To sprinkle on the top of the veggies:

1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons sea salt or more to taste
cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup couscous - I used spelt
Hot water

Steps:

First, make the roast veggies. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place all the chopped veggies and seasonings on top. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the veggies are tender. While the veggies are roasting away, make the couscous by putting it in a bowl and cover with enough water about 1/4 inch above the couscous. Let it stand for 5 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Once the veggies are cooked, put them in the bowl with the couscous. Mix together and serve warm!