Recipe Overview

Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings
Total Time: 45 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Pan-Seared Salmon with Lentil Ragout

This elegant yet simple dish brings together tender French green lentils infused with aromatic vegetables and a perfectly seared salmon fillet. The combination is both nourishing and restaurant-worthy, making it an ideal choice for weeknight dinners or impressing guests. The lentils provide a hearty, earthy foundation while the salmon delivers lean protein and a beautiful contrast in texture.

Ingredients

For the Lentil Ragout:

1/2 pound French green lentils (lentilles du Puy)
1/4 cup quality olive oil, plus extra for the salmon
2 cups chopped yellow onions
2 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1 1/2 cups chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots (3 carrots)
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock (recipe below) or good canned broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons quality red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Salmon:

Four 8-ounce center-cut salmon fillets, skin removed
Olive oil for coating
Salt and pepper to taste

Homemade Chicken Stock

Ingredients:

Three 5-pound chickens
3 large onions, unpeeled and quartered
6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
4 celery stalks with leaves, cut into thirds
4 parsnips, unpeeled and halved (optional)
20 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
15 sprigs fresh thyme
20 sprigs fresh dill
1 head garlic, unpeeled and halved crosswise
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

Directions:

Combine the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips if using, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, salt, and peppercorns in a large 16 to 20-quart stockpot with 7 quarts of water. Bring it to a boil and skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered for 4 hours.
After simmering, strain all contents through a colander, discarding the solids. Cool the broth, discard the solidified fat on top, then portion the stock into quart containers for storage.

Preparation Instructions

Place the lentils in a heat-safe bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak for 15 minutes, then drain well.
While the lentils soak, heat the olive oil in a saut pan over medium heat. Add the onions, leeks, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes until the onions become translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Then stir in the drained lentils, celery, carrots, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Cover and let simmer gently for 20 minutes until the lentils are soft. Stir in the red wine vinegar and adjust seasoning to taste.
Preheat your oven to 450F (230C).
For the salmon, warm a dry oven-safe saut pan over high heat for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, coat both sides of the salmon fillets with olive oil and season generously on top with salt and pepper. When the pan is very hot, place the salmon fillets seasoning-side down and cook without moving them for 2 minutes until well browned. Flip the fillets and transfer the pan to the oven to roast for 5 to 7 minutes until the salmon is cooked rare. To serve, heap the lentils onto plates and top each serving with a salmon fillet. Serve immediately and hot.