By Kendra Nordin, Kitchen Report
Makes 2 servings
1/2 cup/120 ml of dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay [editor's note: substitute cooking wine]
2 5-ounce/150 gram salmon fillets
2 pieces of lemon zest, each about 3 inches/7.5 cm long
1 teaspoon of peppercorns
a sprig of fresh basil, plus a few leaves for serving
sea salt
2 cups/ 470 grams of cooked French Lentils (recipe follows)
a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons of fresh goat cheese
a small handful of pine nuts, toasted
balsamic vinegar, for serving (optional)
1. Put your wine, 1/2 cup/115 ml of water, salmon, lemon zest, peppercorns, and basil sprig in a shallow skillet with a big pinch of sea salt. Turn the heat to medium and when it starts to simmer, cover and set the timer for 5 minutes. Check for doneness and if you need it to go a little bit more, just reset your timer for another couple of minutes – this really doesn’t take long. When the salmon’s cooked, remove it from the liquid then pop it in the fridge, let cool, until you’re ready to eat.
2. To serve, get out a couple of soup bowls, and put about a cupful of cold or room temperature lentils in each one. Flake your salmon over the lentils, add the cherry tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of goat cheese to each bowl, tear up a few basil leaves, and sprinkle on the pine nuts. I usually add a little splash of balsamic vinegar, too – it goes really nicely with the lentils.
French Lentils
Makes 6 to 8 servings
olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
3 cups/720 ml Veggie Stock
1 pound/500 g of lentils du Puy or small green lentils, rinsed
1 bay leaf
a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme
sea salt and pepper
1. Drizzle a bit of olive oil in your heavy stockpot, add the onions and garlic, and turn the heat to medium-low. Let this cook just until the onions become translucent, just a few minutes, then toss in your carrots. Stir them around and let them cook for a few minutes, too.
2. Add 4 cups/1 liter of water and your veggie stock along with the lentils, the bay leaf, thyme, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Put the lid on and turn the heat up to medium. When it boils, turn the heat back down to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, for about an hour. Taste for seasonings and serve hot, cold, or at room temperature.
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