Back in 2001, Joanne Weir published a cookbook, Joanne Weir’s More Cooking in the Wine Country. I bought the book back then, attended a cooking class where Joanne was a guest chef, and at the end of the evening she happily autographed copies of the cookbook to one and all. This recipe, I believe, came from that cooking class. And I’d written notes about it back then, saying it was a stunner. It’s abundant with flavors. It has a myriad of textures too. Refreshing with the arugula and herb salad on top. If you’re a Joanne Weir fan, she just got married about 2 weeks ago and actually blogged about it and their Greek honeymoon, in case you’re interested.
Back to the recipe at hand . . . at the headpiece of the recipe, Joanne wrote about some of the Moroccan ingredients:
- “In the Moroccan marketplace, it is not unusual to find spices piled high by their vendors, who appreciate the role these intense colors and flavors have in the cooking of their country. In this dish, lentils cooked with an assortment of Moroccan spices set off a salmon fillet that’s crisped by rapid cooking in olive oil.”
I started the dish the day before by cooking the lentils. You use the tiny, French ones, the de puy type, if you can find them. If not, use what you have available. They’re simply cooked, but with a modicum of whole cloves. They provide a very interesting fleeting flavor in the dish. When it’s all finished, you can’t really discern the cloves, maybe just a distant hint. Then you make a soupy kind of mixture with onions, garlic, cumin, ground ginger, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, canned diced tomatoes, fish stock (or bottled clam juice), parsley, cilantro and lemon juice. All that gives the lentil mixture a scrumptious taste. You can eat them by themselves. Or add more broth and eat it as soup. I used some half-sharp paprika I bought in Budapest on our last trip, and I had diced tomatoes with green chiles, so perhaps the lentils were hotter than the original recipe intended. But I really like it. If you’re sensitive to heat, just don’t use any hot sauce at all.
Joanne had used gorgeous, thick salmon when we sampled it at the cooking class. I had small, thin wild salmon, so it’s maybe not as spectacular looking as she might have made it. I don’t buy farm-raised salmon anymore except on very rare occasions. If you have thicker salmon, by all means pile the top with more herb salad than I did. The salmon is very simply pan sautéed in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. The hot lentil mixture goes onto a hot plate first, then the sizzling-hot salmon fillet, and an herb salad – arugula, parsley, basil and mint (more like a generous pile strategically placed right in the center) goes on top. Serve immediately! Joanne recommends serving it with Sauvignon Blanc, although my cooking class notes say Pinot Noir. We had the latter since we’re red wine drinkers.
This dish has lots of character – meaning that there are plenty of layers of flavor. The spicy lentils are one thing – and as long as you don’t overcook them, they have lots of tender chewiness to them. Then there’s the salmon. And the herby salad on top with a lemon-centric dressing, adds another layer of flavor and texture too. So if you have big salmon fillets, do make more salad and its accompanying dressing.
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Crispy Salmon with Spiced Lentils and Herb Salad
Recipe: From “More Cooking in the Wine Country” by Joanne Weir
Servings: 6
LENTILS:
1 1/2 cups lentils — French – De Puy
8 whole cloves — tied in cheesecloth
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion — minced
3 cloves garlic — minced
2 cups diced tomatoes — Muir Glen fire-roasted, if available
1 1/2 cups clam juice — or seafood broth
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne — or less, to taste
1/3 cup parsley — chopped
1/3 cup cilantro — chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
SALMON:
2 pounds salmon fillet — cut into 6 pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and pepper to taste
6 lemon wedges for garnish
HERB SALAD:
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic — minced
3/4 cup Italian parsley — fresh, whole, washed, dried
1/2 cup basil leaves — fresh, washed, dried
1/4 cup mint leaves — washed, dried
2 cups arugula leaves — long stems removed, washed, dried
Salt & pepper to taste
1. Brush the salmon fillets with 1 T. of the oil, cover and reserve in the refrigerator.
2. Sort the lentils and discard any stones or debris. Place the lentils and cloves in a large saucepan and cover with water by at least 2 inches. Over high heat, bring to a boil, turn the heat to medium low and simmer uncovered until the lentils are almost tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain the lentils and discard the clove packet.
3. In a large skillet heat the remaining 3 T. oil and cook the red onions until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, ginger, turmeric, paprika and cayenne. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for one minute. Add the tomatoes, clam juice (or fish stock) and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the parsley, cilantro and lentils, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 more minutes. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add more lemon juice if desired.
4. Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Cook the salmon on one side only, until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Turn the salmon, season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook until done, 3-4 more minutes.
5. Add chicken stock or water to the lentils if they are too dry. You want to have just a little fluid. Spoon a large scoop of lentils onto a heated plate, top it with the sizzling hot salmon fillet, and top with a portion of the Herb Salad.
Per Serving: 521 Calories; 20g Fat (34.2% calories from fat); 46g Protein; 42g Carbohydrate; 20g Dietary Fiber; 79mg Cholesterol; 148mg Sodium.
A year ago: Bouillabaise
Two years ago: Fennel Fritters (oh these were tasty morsels, mellow, delicious)
joanne weir
said on October 1st, 2009:
Great blog. Thanks for including me!