Salmon with Mustardy French Lentils

This is the salmon dish we had for dinner one night last week, and again this week. The salmon was good, but basic, just salt and pepper and sauté in a pan with a little olive oil. The star of this dish is the lentils, which are mustardy and so good. The original recipe calls for a can of Puy lentils, but I used 1 cup of dried French green lentils (which stay a little firmer and have better flavor than regular brown lentils, I think). I cooked them until tender, and then drained them. Then I used them as though they were the canned type. Because I used so many lentils, I increased the mustard from 1 Tblsp to 1.5 Tblsp, and I used a bit more shallot and thyme. My goal was to have leftover lentils. This made a lot of leftover lentils, enough that both Ted and I had some for lunch the next day. Original recipe found here.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for serving
• 4 medium shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Two (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin on
• 1 cup French green lentils
• 3 1/2 cups chicken stock (3 cups to cook the lentils, 1/2 cup near the end)
• 3 sprigs thyme (or 1 sprig rosemary if you prefer, I used thyme)
• 1.5 Tblsp whole-grain mustard
• 1 Tblsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Juice from 1 smallish lemon, or more if you like

Directions

In a medium saucepan, cover dried lentils with 3 cups of chicken broth (or vegetable broth, or water if you prefer) and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until lentils are done to your liking, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until very soft and browned, about 15 minutes; lower the heat if necessary to prevent burning. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set caramelized shallots aside. Wipe out skillet.

Press salmon filets between paper towels to dry surfaces thoroughly*. Season on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add salmon filets skin side-down. Immediately reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, pressing gently on back of filets to ensure good contact with skin, until skin is rendered and crisp, about 6 minutes. If skin shows resistance when attempting to lift with a spatula, allow it to continue to cook until it lifts easily. Flip salmon and cook on second side until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 120°F for medium rare or 130°F for medium, about 1 minute longer. Transfer salmon to a paper towel-lined plate and allow to rest.

Add lentils, thyme or rosemary, broth, whole grain mustard, and caramelized shallots to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the broth has reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in parsley and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the lentils onto plates, set the salmon on top, drizzle with more olive oil, and serve immediately.

* I did not dry mine well enough, the salmon did not get crispy. I dried it more thoroughly the next time, and it still didn’t get crispy. I don’t care.