Turkey with Lavender Salt & Couscous with Spicy Chorizo
Which of course means, "do you want to eat with me?"- and I am assuming the chances are that you would say "yes", after looking that the picture... looks pretty tasty, huh? The clever thing about it is the flavored salt I created, using typical herbs from the Provence, lavender, red pepper corns and citrus zest, which along with a refreshing, herb-infused couscous, turned some simple turkey into a lovely, light Summer meal... even if it is STILL raining here!
The herbs I used were rosemary, thyme, marjoram, parsley and tarragon, the spices, red pepper corns and a little chili... these all went into my mortar, with some course sea salt, a good pinch of sugar, some grated lime zest and a good pinch of dried lavender. Then out came the pestle and I got to work, grinding it all together into an aromatic blend. It was a little moist, but you are already familiar with this from my "Salt of the Earth"- it is just fine that way! But if you WANT to have a dry seasoned salt. you can pop it onto a tray, spread it out a little and bake it at a low temperature until the moisture evaporates. But not tonight!
For the couscous, I used a mix of parsley, cilantro, mint, spring onions,chives and lemon zest. The way I prepared the couscous was so: pour boiling water over the couscous until it is covered- allow to sit for a minute until it begins to swell up. Stir it up to make sure it is loose and fluffy and cover again with boiling water. At this point, add a little lemon juice and a last little splash of boiling water. Allow it to sit for a further 5 minutes or so and
you should have a nice, light, nutty, fluffy couscous, ready to be dressed and flavored-up I decided to keep the flavors reduced to an herbal minimum... after all- we do have that delicious salt for the turkey- and along with the spicy Chorizo, we have enough other flavors to make this into a nicely blended meal. Add the finely chopped onion and herbs, some fresh lemon juice and a little sesame oil... stir thoroughly and set to one side.
The Chorizo is very thinly sliced and then rolled-up and fried in a dry pan at a low heat... you will soon see how much fat comes out of that sausage! After 5-6 minutes of gentle frying, you should be left with a greasy pan and some pretty, crispy little rolls of spicy sausage- drain them on some kitchen towel, pat dry and try to keep yourself from tasting any! Yum!
Fry the turkey breast pieces in a little olive oil at a moderate heat for 4-5 minutes until golden brown, added a tiny drizzle of honey and lemon juice and get ready to serve!
I dressed the couscous with a little sesame oil and some lime juice and set that out first. Then came the juicy turkey breast, which I then sprinkled with the seasoned salt mix. I decided the dish needed something fresh to liven it up and added a handfull of fresh watercress.
And there you have it- a strange little mix but a wonderful combination of tastes and flavors! I hope you all enjoy... Bon apetit!
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