Equipment
Ingredients
French Lentils
- 250 g french green lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 15 ml olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 celery stalk, finely diced
- 2 garlic clove, minced
- 120 ml dry red wine
- 600 ml chicken or vegetable stock, warm
- 4 fresh thyme sprig
- 1 bay leaf, dried or fresh
Red Wine Reduction Sauce
- 240 ml dry red wine
- 1 shallot, minced
- 120 ml chicken or beef stock
- 60 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Salmon
- 4 salmon fillet, skin-on
- 15 ml olive oil
- kosher salt
- black pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 917 kcal
- Protein
- 55 g
- Carbohydrates
- 58 g
- Fat
- 59 g
- Fiber
- 9 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 4043 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 36 mg
- Potassium
- 794 mg
- Calcium
- 489 mg
- Iron
- 23.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 505 mg
- Phosphorus
- 691 mg
- Zinc
- 3.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 725 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 11 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 17 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.64 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.32 mg
- Niacin
- 2.6 mg
- Folate
- 321 mcg
- Water
- 339 g
- Alcohol
- 10 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until vegetables are softened and onions are translucent, stirring occasionally.
Add minced garlic to the vegetables and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the 120ml of red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
Stir in the rinsed lentils, warm stock, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low, cover partially, and let simmer until lentils are tender but still hold their shape.
While lentils are simmering, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 240ml of red wine, 120ml stock, and minced shallot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and let reduce until the liquid becomes syrupy and measures about 60ml.
Remove the reduced sauce from heat. Gradually whisk in the cold, cubed butter one piece at a time until the sauce is glossy and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.
Pat the salmon fillets completely dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with kosher salt and black pepper.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully place the salmon fillets skin-side down. Press gently with a spatula for the first 15 seconds to prevent curling. Cook undisturbed until the skin is crispy and easily releases from the pan.
Flip the salmon and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, depending on thickness, until internal temperature reaches 63C/145F for FDA standards, or 52C/125F for a chef-recommended medium-rare.
Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf from the cooked lentils, and stir in a pinch of salt. Spoon a bed of warm lentils onto each plate, top with a salmon fillet skin-side up, and drizzle the red wine reduction sauce around the lentils.
Chef's Notes
- Using real French green lentils (Lentilles du Puy) is essential. Unlike common brown or red lentils, they have a thicker skin and hold their shape during prolonged simmering, providing the necessary texture.
- For the ultimate crispy skin, leave the salmon fillets uncovered in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours prior to cooking. This dries out the surface moisture far better than paper towels alone.
- The red wine reduction sauce relies on monté au beurre (mounting with butter) to thicken. Do not return the sauce to the heat after the butter is added, or the emulsion will break.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store salmon and lentils in separate airtight containers.
Freezer: 1 month — Lentils and sauce freeze well; cooked salmon does not freeze well.
Reheating: Reheat lentils gently on the stove with a splash of water or stock. Reheat salmon in a 175°C/350°F oven until just warm to avoid overcooking.
Troubleshooting
Salmon skin sticks to the pan and tears when flipping
Cause: The pan was not hot enough before adding the fish, or the fish was forced to flip before a proper crust formed.
Fix: Use a thin, flexible fish spatula to gently scrape precisely at the pan interface. If irreparably torn, remove the skin completely and serve flesh-side up.
Prevention: Heat pan until oil shimmers. Never force the fish to flip; it will naturally release when a proper crust has developed.
Red wine sauce breaks, becoming oily and separated
Cause: Butter was too warm, or the sauce was boiled after the butter was added.
Fix: Whisk vigorously off the heat while adding a teaspoon of heavy cream or ice-cold water.
Prevention: Ensure butter is ice cold, and completely remove the pan from heat before whisking it in.
Lentils are mushy and falling apart
Cause: Lentils were boiled too vigorously or simmered for too long.
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Drain excess liquid immediately and serve as a rustic mash.
Prevention: Maintain a very gentle simmer and start tasting the lentils at the 25-minute mark.
Cultural Context
This dish marries classic French bistro technique with modern culinary sensibilities. The robust, earthy flavors of lentilles du Puy simmered in wine are traditionally paired with richer meats like duck confit or roasted pork. Substituting pan-seared salmon lightens the dish significantly while creating a striking flavor profile, where the rich, oily fish plays harmoniously with the deep, tart notes of the red wine reduction.
