master

This recipe comes to us from Zachary Engel, chef de cuisine at Shaya in New Orleans. A modern Israeli restaurant, Shaya was named the James Beard Foundation’s “Best New Restaurant” of 2016. In this dish, the aroma of Rumi Spice’s saffron complements the earthiness of cumin and the sweetness of honey-glazed carrots, all served with rich, buttery salmon. (Letting the saffron for your yogurt sauce soak—or “bloom”—in lemon juice for at least 5 minutes ensures gorgeous color and bold flavor!) Special thanks to Chef Engel and Shaya for creating this delicious recipe.

Ethan Mick

with Glazed Carrots & Saffron-Yogurt Sauce

Seared Salmon

Skin-On Salmon Fillets

Plain Greek Yogurt

Carrots

Garlic

Lemon

Navel Orange

Yukon Gold Potato

Cilantro

Large Pinch Saffron

Honey

Crushed Aleppo Pepper

Ground Cumin

Ingredients

Wash and dry the fresh produce. [Using a peeler, remove the lemon rind, avoiding the pith; mince to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester).](#) [Quarter and deseed the lemon.](#) In a bowl, combine **half the saffron** and **the juice of 1 lemon wedge**. Medium dice the potato. [Peel the carrots;](#) thinly slice on an angle. Peel and mince the garlic. Halve the orange; squeeze the juice into a bowl, straining out the seeds. Pick half the cilantro leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Roughly chop the remaining cilantro leaves and stems.

Prepare the ingredients:

In a small pot, combine the **potato**, **remaining saffron**, **a big pinch of salt** and **3 cups of water** (or enough to completely cover the potato). Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cook 10 to 12 minutes, or until the potato is tender when pierced with a fork. Turn off the heat. Drain throughly and return to the pot.

Cook the potato:

While the potato cooks, to the bowl with the **saffron-lemon juice mixture**,  add the **yogurt**, **lemon zest** and (reserving the rest) **up to half the aleppo pepper**, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Make the saffron-yogurt sauce:

In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the **carrots** and **garlic**;  season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the **cumin** and **honey**. Cook, stirring occasionally, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the **orange juice**. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until the carrots have softened; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to the pot of **cooked potato** set aside in a warm place.

Cook & glaze the carrots:

Rinse and wipe out the pan used to glaze the carrots. Pat the **salmon** dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. In the same pan, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned salmon, skin sides down. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on the first side, or until the skin is crispy. Flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat.

Cook the salmon:

To the pot of **cooked potato** **and** **glazed carrots**, stir in the **chopped cilantro**, **the juice of the remaining lemon wedges** and **as much of remaining aleppo pepper as you’d like**,  depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be.  Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide between 2 dishes. Top with the **cooked salmon** and  a spoonful of the **saffron-yogurt sauce** (you may have extra). Garnish with the **whole cilantro leaves**. Enjoy!