Saumon aux lentilles

Recipe made with the friendos after strudel was deemed too “scary”. Inspired by a meal I had with aunt and uncle at a local restaurant, my aunt ordered tofu on a bed of lentils and I thought this would be similar. It was :) Restaurant-worthy meal. Recipe adapted from cook’s illustrated

Ingredients:

Lentils:

• 1 1/4 cup French green lentils. They are small. Tastes similar to normal lentils but more starchy.

• 1 onion, chopped fine

• 2 ribs celery, chopped fine.

• 1 carrot, chopped fine

• 5 cloves garlic, chopped

• Dried thyme

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• Red wine vinegar

• mustard

Salmon:

• 11 oz salmon (doesn’t matter)

• Salt brine: 1/4 cup salt to 1 quart water (around)

Procedure:

• Sautee onion and celery until softened. Salt a bit at this point.

• Add garlic, carrot, thyme, and tomato paste. Fry for a bit longer until tomato paste is incorporated

• Add lentils and 2 cups of water. Taste and adjust for salt at this point (should taste a little less than appropriate)

• Cook like a risotto until desired texture is reach (au dente).

• Add a bit of red wine vinegar, to taste. Can also add Djon mustard at this point if not too salty.

• While lentils are cooking, soak salmon (in my case steelhead trout) in brine for 15 min.

• Dry salmon and cook skin side down in cold pan. Add pepper and plate.