Salmon Tarator with Tahini Yogurt, Pearl Couscous, Sumac, Chilli, Nuts & Grapes

This is one of those dishes that looks extraordinary the moment it hits the table — salmon almost disappearing under a Jackson Pollock mess of grapes, herbs, pearl couscous, nuts, and crispy shallots, with a bright streak of tahini yogurt holding it all together. It's inspired by Greg Malouf's salmon tarator, a Levantine classic where salmon gets treated like a canvas for all the good things you can find on a Middle Eastern cook's shelf. The pearl couscous gives it body, the grapes bring sweetness and juice, and the tahini yogurt underneath is the glue that makes every forkful cohere.

How to cook

Start with the crispy shallots — they need the most time and they're what takes this dish from good to unforgettable. Slice two shallots into very thin, even rings on a mandoline if you have one, or with a very sharp knife. Consistency matters here because uneven rings will fry unevenly — the thin ones burn while the thick ones stay soft. Heat the neutral oil (150ml) in a small saucepan to about 150°C — a thermometer takes the guesswork out of this, but if you don't have one, drop in a single ring: it should bubble steadily without browning immediately. Add all the shallots at once and fry, stirring now and then so they cook evenly, for 6-8 minutes. They'll go through three stages — translucent, golden, then deep amber. Pull them just before you think they're ready, because they keep colouring on the paper from residual heat. Transfer to kitchen paper with a slotted spoon and season with a pinch of fine salt while still hot. Save the fragrant shallot oil — you'll drizzle it over the finished dish. These shallots stay crisp for a few hours at room temperature, so you can make them ahead.

Now the pearl couscous, which is one of the great underused pantry ingredients. The key to making it taste like something rather than little beige balls is to toast it first. Heat the olive oil (2 tablespoons) in a saucepan over medium heat, add the couscous (150g), and toast for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. You'll know it's ready when the pearls are golden-brown on multiple sides and the kitchen starts smelling nutty, almost like popcorn. This toasting step is the difference between couscous as filler and couscous as flavour. Pour in the stock (350ml) and add a good pinch of salt — be generous, because this is the seasoning that carries through the finished dish. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10-12 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. The pearls should be tender but still have a gentle bite at the centre — not bouncy, not mushy. Fluff with a fork and spread on a tray so it cools and doesn't clump.

For the salmon, resist any urge to complicate it. Heat the oven to 180°C fan. The temptation with salmon is always to pan-sear it, but here you want a soft, tender fish that the tahini yogurt can soak into — a crisp-skinned piece fights with the sauce rather than welcoming it. Pat the fillets (4) dry, lay them skin-side down on a parchment-lined tray, rub with olive oil (2 tablespoons), and season generously with salt and pepper. Bake for 10-12 minutes. A kitchen thermometer at the thickest part should read 48-52°C for medium, which is where salmon tastes best — silky, just opaque at the centre, still glistening rather than dry and flaky. If you're unsure, pull at 10 and check — it's better to undercook slightly and rest than to blow past the sweet spot. Let the fillets rest for 3 minutes out of the oven while you assemble everything else; carry-over heat will finish them.

While the salmon bakes, toast the nuts. Combine walnuts (30g), pine nuts (20g), and almonds (20g) in a dry skillet over medium heat and toss them every 30 seconds or so. Pine nuts in particular go from golden to burnt in about 10 seconds if you look away, so stay with the pan. You're looking for all three nuts to be fragrant and deeply golden — total time is 3-4 minutes. Tip them onto a plate immediately, because a hot pan will keep cooking them.

The tahini yogurt is the layer that ties everything to the salmon. Whisk the Greek yogurt (150g) with the tahini (3 tablespoons), grated garlic (1 clove — microplaned so it melts in rather than hitting as bitter chunks), lemon juice (2 tablespoons), water (2 tablespoons), and a pinch of salt. The consistency should be like thick pouring cream — if it's too thick, add another splash of water; too loose, more yogurt. Taste it. This sauce needs to taste bright and assertive on its own because it's going to be cut by everything piled on top. If it tastes flat, add more lemon and more salt until it sings. Tahini sauces need aggressive seasoning.

The tarator topping is where you can feel the Middle Eastern rhythm. In a large bowl, combine the cooled pearl couscous with the halved grapes (150g), sliced radishes (4), shallot rings (1 shallot), parsley (30g), mint (15g), coriander (15g), sliced chilli (1 long red), and the toasted nuts. Dress with olive oil (2 tablespoons), lemon juice (1 tablespoon), sumac (2 teaspoons), salt, and black pepper. Toss gently with your hands or a spoon — don't overmix or you'll bruise the herbs and the radishes will bleed pink into everything. This mixture should look like a beautiful mess: juicy grapes, dark green herbs, pale couscous, flecks of red from the chilli and sumac. Taste a forkful — it should be bright, herby, a little spicy, a little tart, with the grapes bursting sweetness at random intervals.

Bonus points

• Pomegranate molasses: Stir 1 teaspoon of pomegranate molasses into the tarator dressing. It adds a dark, tangy sweetness that deepens the whole dish and amplifies the Levantine character.
• Confit garlic in the yogurt: Instead of raw garlic, slow-cook a small head of garlic in olive oil at 140°C for 45 minutes until soft and sweet. Mash 4 cloves into the tahini yogurt for a rounder, mellower flavour with no raw bite.
• Grill the grapes: Halve the grapes and char them briefly in a hot dry pan, cut-side down, for 90 seconds. The caramelisation concentrates their sweetness and adds a subtle smoky note that plays brilliantly with the sumac and tahini.
• Swap pearl couscous for freekeh: Cracked green freekeh brings a smoky, grassy flavour and a chewier bite. Cook the same way but extend the simmer to 20 minutes. It's a more ancient, rustic version of the same dish.
• Urfa biber finish: A pinch of urfa biber (Turkish dried chilli) on top of the salmon before baking adds a raisin-like, smoky heat that lingers and bridges the grapes and the salmon beautifully.
• Dill alongside the other herbs: Add 10g of fresh dill to the herb mix. It brings a slight anise freshness that makes the salmon taste even more like itself.

Serving

This is a dish that wants to be served on a platter as much as on individual plates. For individual portions, lay each salmon fillet on a wide plate so there's room for the tarator to tumble off the edges. Spoon the tahini yogurt generously over the salmon — don't be precious about it; it should pool at the sides and streak across the surface. Pile the tarator mixture on top, stacking high rather than flat. The goal is abundance, not neatness. Shower with the crispy shallots so they catch on every peak, drizzle a little of the reserved shallot oil around the plate, and finish with a final dusting of sumac and flaky salt.

For a platter version, lay all four fillets close together on a large board or oval platter, spoon the tahini yogurt across all of them in one big gesture, and pile the tarator over the whole thing. Serve with extra tahini yogurt and lemon wedges on the side so guests can help themselves.

For drinks, this dish loves a crisp, mineral white with some texture — an Assyrtiko from Santorini has the salinity and lemon character to stand up to the tahini and match the Mediterranean feel. A dry orange wine works beautifully if you want to lean into the Levantine spirit. For a non-alcoholic option, sparkling water with a splash of pomegranate juice and a few fresh mint leaves echoes the flavours on the plate.