Adapted from Epicurious
Ingredients
For lentils:
1 cup French green lentils
4 cups water
2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1 carrot peeled and diced
1 tablespoon unsalted Irish or French butter
1/2 to 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For salmon:
4 (6-ounce) pieces skinless salmon fillet
2 tablespoons unsalted Irish butter
Directions
- Make mustard-herb butter: Stir together all ingredients with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
- Cook lentils: Bring lentils, water, and 3/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are just tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid, then drain lentils.
- While lentils cook, chop leeks and wash well to remove any sand or dirt. Cook leeks and diced carrots in butter in a heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add lentils with reserved cooking liquid to leeks along with 3 tablespoons mustard-herb butter and cook, stirring, until lentils are heated through and butter is melted. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and keep warm, covered.
- Sauté salmon while leeks cook: Pat salmon dry and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (total).
- Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then sauté salmon, turning once, until golden and just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total.
- Serve salmon, topped with remaining mustard-herb butter, over lentils.