Roasted Salmon with Warm Lentil Salad

By DomesticMuse

This recipe is easily ready in under an hour, and the roasted salmon is a perfect pairing with the zippy lentils, that are tossed with a dijon vinaigrette and crispy pancetta bits.

Ingredients

• 1 c. green French lentils, lentilles du Puy
• 1/2 t. kosher salt
• 2 oz. pancetta or bacon, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 6 oz. pieces center-cut salmon filet, skin removed
• 6 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• Additional kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 T white wine vinegar
• 2 t Dijon mustard
• 2-4 T. chicken stock
• 2 T chopped fresh herbs, such as chives, parsley, tarragon, or basil

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

1. Place the lentils in a large saucepan and pour in enough cold water to cover by 1 in. Add the salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until tender, 20-25 min.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pancetta in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until crisp, 3-5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
3. Pour off all but 1 T fat from the skillet and add the onion and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 400F. Arrange the salmon in one flat layer in a shallow roasting pan. Drizzle with 2 T of the olive oil and the lemon juice. season with salt and pepper. Bake until barely cooked through, 10-12 min.
5. Drain the lentils well and return to the saucepan. Add the vinegar and mustard and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the pancetta, the cooked onion mixture, the remaining 1/4 c. olive oil, and 2 T of the chicken stock. Stir well and add more stock if necessary to make a moist lentil mixture. Stir in the herbs at the last minute. Serve each piece of salmon with some of the lentil salad.