Instructions

• Make the salsa: In a bowl, stir together the chopped herbs, diced jalapeño, minced preserved lemon, diced cucumber, the grated zest of 1/2 the orange and about a tablespoon of EVOO. Set aside to let the flavors mull.
• Prepare the halibut: Set oven to low broil, and position a rack below it. Rinse the halibut filets and pat them dry. Drizzle with EVOO, and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and coriander. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil until the center is just opaque.
• In the meantime, make the risotto. In a small skillet, toast the couscous if you haven’t already. Pour into a 2-quart saucepan and sprinkle with the salt.
• In the same small skillet, slick the bottom with EVOO and heat over medium. Add the minced garlic, the grated zest of the other 1/2 of the orange, the whole coriander seeds and the ground coriander. Stir until the garlic has softened but make sure it doesn’t get too brown and doesn’t crisp. Stir in 1 tsp of your salsa (minus cucumber bits if possible) and 1 T fresh orange juice and remove the skillet from heat, keeping close at hand.
• Heat the 2-quart saucepan with the Israeli couscous over medium heat. Add the chicken broth, about 1/4 c at a time, stirring constantly so the “risotto” doesn’t stick to the bottom. When you’ve got just about 1/4 c of broth left, stir the garlic-coriander mixture from the skillet (using a spatula to get all the good stuff) into the “risotto” and stir to combine. Add the rest of the orange juice and chicken broth, lower the heat and stir until you’ve got a perfect creamy risotto.
• Divide into two portions, and serve immediately with the halibut on top, dressing the whole dish with your reserved salsa and a small slice of orange.