Béatrice Peltre’s Red lentil salad with citrus, fennel and smoked salmon

Serves: 4
Course: Starter
Cooking Time: 0 hr 20 mins

Ingredients

  • Serves 4
  • For the vinaigrette:
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp cream
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp hazelnut oil
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • Sea salt and pepper
  • 1tbsp finely chopped chives
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped fennel greens
  • For the salad:
  • 135g red lentils, sorted and rinsed
  • 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
  • 4 slices of smoked salmon, cut in long strips
  • 2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced with a mandoline
  • 2 oranges, peel and pith removed and sectioned
  • 2 pink grapefruit, peel and pith removed and sectioned
  • 8 pink radishes, thinly sliced with a mandoline
  • 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 125g goat milk feta cheese, crumbled</li><li/></ul>

To prepare the vinaigrette:

In a small bowl, beat the tahini and water together with a fork. Stir in the cream, lemon juice and hazelnut oil, and whisk to emulsify. Add the garlic, season with sea salt and pepper, and stir in the fresh herbs; set aside. If you want the sauce a little thinner, simply add more water (and lemon juice); taste for seasoning again.

To prepare the salad:

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the lentils and cook for seven to eight minutes over medium heat. Drain and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

In a frying pan, toast the sesame seeds for two minutes over medium heat; set aside.

Add the smoked salmon, fennel, oranges, grapefruit, radishes and onion to the bowl with the lentils. Drizzle with the tahini dressing and toss gently. Add the crumbled cheese and sesame seeds, and toss gently before serving.