This is the tastiest lentil dish I’ve ever eaten. It’s another of those we’ve been meaning to make for ages, then we bought a huge piece of salmon and were looking for something new to try. The recipe is by American cook Ina Garten and, like everything of hers, it is so easy to make. The only exception we make is that we pan-fry the salmon, rather than oven-roast as she suggests: a) we prefer pan-fried and b) our oven uses a huge amount of electricity and we try to keep our consumption down. Serves 4
8oz Lentils du Puy
Extra virgin olive oil
Large onion, chopped
2 leeks, chopped [white and light green parts only]
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh garlic
4 carrots, diced
12 fl oz vegetable stock or water
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 salmon fillets, skinless
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Juice of half a lemon

Rinse and pat dry the salmon fillets. In a flat dish add a good slug of olive oil, the lemon juice and pepper. Lay the salmon fillets in the marinade and leave – anything from two minutes to two hours is fine. Place the lentils in a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 15 minutes, then drain and rinse to remove any grit. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saute pan. Add the onions, leeks, thyme and pepper, Cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for two more minutes. Add the drained lentils, carrots, stock/water and tomato paste. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Add the vinegar, season to taste.

Once you are ready to eat, heat a frying pan with a slug of olive oil. Fry the salmon fillets, a couple of minutes on each side. Try to resist the temptation to fiddle with the fish in the pan, and you will be rewarded with a tasty golden crust.

To serve, spoon a mound of lentils on each place and put a salmon fillet on top. Serve hot.

Any leftover lentils store well in the fridge and are delicious either tossed in a salad of green leaves, or simply eaten cold with a spoon for supper. For more recipes by the Barefoot Contessa, click here.

5 to remember
sabroso/a – tasty
enorme – huge
algo nuevo – something new
estadounidense – American
el consume – the consumption