The tang of the basil-infused yoghurt sauce and the earthiness of the lentils work beautifully with the rich, protein-packed salmon.
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
LENTILS
180 grams puy lentils
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
sea salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 stick celery, chopped
1 leek, halved and sliced
1 small carrot, finely chopped
sea salt and black pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1⁄4–1⁄2 teaspoon chilli flakes
2 cups baby spinach leaves
SALMON
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 x 180-gram salmon fillets
BASIL YOGHURT
3⁄4 cup Greek natural yoghurt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup packed basil leaves
METHOD
EQUIPMENT: Line an oven tray with baking paper.
LENTILS: Put the lentils in a saucepan and cover with cold water by at least 6–7cm. Add the bay leaves, bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20–25 minutes. Drain well, rinse under cold running water and stir through the vinegar. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan. Add the onion, celery, leek and carrot, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 8 minutes over a gentle heat until the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic and chilli and cook together for 5 minutes. Stir through the lentils along with the spinach and set aside.
SALMON: Preheat the oven to 200°C fan bake. Mix the olive oil with the zest and garlic and brush on the flesh side of the salmon. Put on the prepared oven tray and cook for 8 minutes. Change the setting to grill and cook a further 2 minutes, positioned in the middle of the oven.
BASIL YOGHURT: While the salmon is cooking, whiz the yoghurt, basil and garlic with a stick blender until smooth.
TO SERVE: Serve the salmon on the lentils and top with a good dollop of basil yoghurt.
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In Dream Escape, we journey from Japan and Morocco to Italy, India and beyond, sharing recipes inspired by travel, heritage and comfort. We celebrate the champions of the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, explore the stories and recipes of chefs shaped by their cultural roots, and warm up with everything from West African soups and slow-braised lamb to porchetta, butter chicken and beef noodle soup. Alongside destination menus, Scandinavian sweets and cosy pub classics, Chrisanne Terblanche shares her favourite street-side dining spots in Bangkok, while Yvonne Lorkin explores red wine varietals. This issue, we invite you to slow down, turn the pages and escape through food.