Ingredients:
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 3 tablespoons white wine, champagne or white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1-1/2 teaspoons honey
- 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped thyme
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- For the salad:
- 8 cups water
- Salt
- 8 sprigs thyme, bundled together with butcher's twine
- 3 Bay leaves
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-1/4 cups lentils du Puy, sorted for debris and rinsed
- 1 fennel bulb, finely diced fine
- 3/4 cup thin-sliced radishes
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley
- For the salmon:
- 1-1/4 pounds salmon fillet, pinbones removed and cut into 6 portions
- 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse-ground fennel seed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges for serving
Instructions:
- For the dressing: Whisk together all ingredients in small bowl until smooth and emulsified. Season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.
- For the salad: Combine water, 1 tablespoon salt, thyme, bay leaves, and garlic in large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring to simmer and add lentils. Reduce heat to medium low or just enough to maintain a slow but steady simmer and cook until lentils are tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Drain in strainer, discard bay leaves and thyme and cool briefly.
- In large mixing bowl, combine cooled (but still warm) lentils and dressing with fennel, radishes, and parsley. Drizzle vinaigrette over lentils and fold mixture with a large rubber spatula until well blended. Adjust seasoning to taste (lentils should taste fairly salty; seasonings will mellow as salad sits).
- For the salmon: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
- Place salmon on foil-lined baking sheet and season generously with fennel seed, salt, and pepper; drizzle with olive oil. Roast salmon until just set and barely cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes depending on fillet thickness. Serve immediately with lentils and accompanied by lemon wedges.
