Oven Roasted Salmon Fillets with French Green Lentil Ragout

We first learned and made this recipe with Aileen's sister Valerie a few years back.

Ingredients

• Salmon Fillet Portions - 4 to 6 oz per person

• 1/2 Pound French Green Lentils (lentilles du Puy)

• 2-3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus extra for the salmon)

• 1/2 Yellow Onion chopped

• 2 medium Carrots chopped

• 1 stalk of Celery chopped

• 1 medium Leek chopped (white and light green parts only)

• 1 Clove Garlic minced

• 2 Cups Chicken Stock (or you could use vegetable stock)

• 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence

• 1 small pinch ground Cloves

• 1 Bay Leaf

• Kosher Salt

• Freshly ground Black Pepper

Instructions (Lentil Ragout)

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (Yes, I know I said this is the Lentil Instructions, but if you are making the salmon with this dish, you need to preheat the oven now for the salmon).

2. Place the lentils in a fine mesh sieve and sort through to make sure there are no small stones leftover from the manufacturing process.

3. Rinse the lentils under cold water.

4. Place the lentils in a sauce pan and cover with fresh water and simmer on medium heat for 2 minutes. After the lentils have briefly simmered, remove from heat and rinse again in a sieve with cold water.

5. Rinse the inside of the sauce pan and place back on medium heat.

6. Add olive oil to the pan and place onions, carrots, leeks, celery, and garlic and briefly saute (3 minutes) stirring frequently - you want the vegetables nicely coate with the oil and starting to sweat to release their flavors.

7. Add the herbs de provence and cloves to help brighten the spices. Add a little salt and pepper (reminger - not too much as the stock will have salt in it) and give the vegetables and spices a thorough stir.

8. Add back the lentils and cover lentils and vegetables with the stock. You should add additional water to the pan so the lentils, etc. are covered with about 1/2" to 1" of liquid.

9. Reduce the temperature of the pan when the contents are simmering. Continue to simmer over a low flame for an additional 20 mins. Give the contents a stir every couple of minutes.

10. Remove about 2/3 of the lentil / vegetable mixture with a slotted spoon and put aside. Blend the remaining contents of the pot so the mixture is like a chunky pureed lentil soup (with either with stick blender, counter blender, or mini food processor). Return the remaining lentils you removed earlier and keep them VERY hot on a very light simmer. At this point in time you should adjust the level of salt and pepper of your ragout.

Instructions (Salmon)

1. Rub both sides of the salmon fillets with olive oil and place on a baking sheet that has been covered with oil and aluminum foil. Season the tops of the oiled fillets with salt and pepper. We have a wonderful spice blend that we picked up in Savannah ("All 'Round Good Grinder Blend") that we love to season our salmon with.

2. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 12 minutes.

3. Remove from the oven.

Plating Instructions

1. Create a bed of the lentil ragout for each serving

2. Perch the salmon filet on top of the ragout

   
   

Best Regards and BonAppetIT!!!

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