Cauliflower Rice Bowl with Harissa Salmon

There are so many great flavors here: spicy chiles (in the harissa), lots of herbs, a creamy yogurt sauce, and perfectly cooked salmon. And all in one bowl, to boot! In other words, while this dish is a fantastic quick lunch at the restaurant, our copycat is a dinner-party-worthy entrée that’s probably best on the weekend when you’ve got more time. Zhug (sometimes spelled “schug”) is a Middle Eastern condiment made from parsley, perhaps other fresh herbs, chiles, aromatics, and lots of olive oil, sort of like a loose pesto. You’ll make more than you need for this recipe. Store it, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days, to drizzle on sandwiches or anything off the grill. Harissa is a North African red chile paste made with garlic, olive oil, spices, and citrus juices. It can be fiery, although there are milder versions available in North American supermarkets. It’ll keep, covered, in the fridge for about 1 year. It’s terrific on scrambled eggs.

Duration

About 45 Minutes

Cooking Technique

Pressure Cook

Keywords

4 servings, about 45 minutes, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, feta cheese, ground coriander, ground cumin, instant pot, large cucumber, lemon juice, medium fresh jalapeño chile, medium garlic cloves, minced stemmed fresh dill fronds, packed stemmed fresh cilantro leaves, packed stemmed fresh parsley leaves, perfectly cooked salmon, plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, pressure cook, purchased harissa, purchased or homemade tzatziki, riced cauliflower (3 cups), skinless salmon fillets, table salt, water

Servings

4 Servings

Ingredients

1½ cups Water
12 ounces riced cauliflower (3 cups)
1½ pounds skinless salmon fillets
1 tablespoon purchased harissa
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup packed stemmed fresh parsley leaves
½ cup packed stemmed fresh cilantro leaves
1 medium fresh jalapeño chile
2 medium garlic cloves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 large cucumber
½ cup purchased or homemade tzatziki
feta cheese
Minced stemmed fresh dill fronds

Instructions

Pour the water into the insert set in a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot. If your stack set doesn’t come with a bottom layer that has feet to lift it up, you’ll also need to put a pressure-safe rack or trivet in the insert.
In the bottom layer of the stack set, spread the cauliflower rice. Set this in the insert (and on the rack, if necessary).
Gently toss the salmon cubes, harissa, and 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium bowl until the fish is well coated. Pour and scrape all of this mixture into the top layer of the stack. Do not cover. Set the top layer on the bottom layer in the insert. Lock the lid onto the pot.
For all models, set pot for Pressure Cook or Manual. Set level to High, valve must be closed. Set time for 6 Minutes with the Keep Warm setting off. If needed, press Start.
When the pot has finished cooking, use the quick-release method to bring the pressure back to normal. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker. Use hot pads or silicone baking mitts to transfer the (hot!) stacked layers to a nearby wire rack. Return the layer with the salmon to the pot and set the lid askew over the pot to keep the fish warm.
Spread the riced cauliflower into four serving bowls before you make the zhug (parsley sauce). To do so, put the parsley, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, lemon juice, salt, coriander, and cumin in a food processor. Cover and pulse, adding the ⅓ cup olive oil through the feed tube to create a pesto-like sauce (if a tad thinner than standard pesto). You may need to add a little more olive oil, depending on the moisture content of the fresh herbs.
To serve, top each bowl of cauliflower rice with a quarter of the salmon cubes (leaving any liquid behind in the stacking container). Line the cucumber slices around about a quarter of each bowl. Top each serving with some zhug and tzatziki, as well as some cubed feta and minced dill for garnishes.
For a 3-quart Instant Pot, you must use 1 cup of water in the insert. You must then halve the remaining ingredients and you must use stacking containers that can fit in the smaller insert.
For a 5-quart Instant Pot, you can complete the recipe as stated but you must use 7-inch stackable containers specifically made to fit this slightly smaller pot. (Some standard stacking containers are too tall to work in these models.)
For a 10-quart Instant Pot, you must use 2½ cups of water in the insert. You can otherwise complete the recipe as stated.