Moroccan Spiced Salmon On Lentils (hl)

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Seafood, Grains	Moroccan	Fish-fs, Oven-fs	1	Servings

INGREDIENTS

2	c	French green lentils, 3/4
		pound picked over and
		rinsed
		Salt and freshly ground
		pepper
1/4	c	Coriander seeds
1/4	c	Fennel seeds
2	T	Cumin seeds
1	t	Cardamom seeds
2	t	Whole cloves
1/4	c	Olive oil, plus 2
		tablespoons
8		Garlic cloves, minced
2		Shallots, minced
2	T	Harissa*
35	oz	Italian plum tomatoes
		drained and chopped
		juices
		reserved
6		Salmon, 6-ounce fillets
		with skin
1	T	Unsalted butter, cut into 6
		pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

Available at specialty food shops  In a medium saucepan, cover the
lentils with 6 cups of water and  bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and  simmer, stirring occasionally, until
the lentils are tender, about 25  minutes. Season with salt and pepper
and set aside, covered.  In a medium skillet, combine the coriander,
fennel, cumin and cardamom  seeds with the cloves. Toast the spices
over moderate heat, stirring,  until fragrant -- about 3 minutes.
Transfer to a plate to cool.  Finely grind the spices in a spice
grinder or mortar.  In a medium nonreactive saucepan, warm 1/4 cup of
the olive oil over  moderately low heat. Add the garlic and shallots
and cook, stirring,  until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the
harissa and 1 tablespoon  of the spice mixture and cook, stirring,
until fragrant -- about 3  minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices
and increase the heat to  moderate. Simmer the sauce, stirring
occasionally, until the flavors  are well blended -- about 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.  (MAKE AHEAD: The lentils and the tomato
sauce can be refrigerated for  3 days. Store the spice mixture in a
glass jar at room temperature.)  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place
2 large ovenproof skillets  over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil
to each skillet. Season  the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and
coat them on both sides  with the remaining spice mixture. When the oil
is very hot, add 3  salmon fillets to each pan, skin side down. Put 1
piece of the butter  next to each fillet and shake the pans to
incorporate the butter into  the oil. Saute the salmon fillets for 3
minutes. Transfer the  skillets to the oven without turning the fillets
and roast the salmon  for about 6 minutes, or until the skin is very
crisp and the fish is  just cooked through.  Meanwhile, reheat the
lentils and the tomato sauce. Spoon the lentils  into the center of
warmed dinner plates and set the salmon fillets on  top, skin side up.
Spoon the tomato sauce around the lentils and  serve at once.  Yield: 6
servings  Copyright, 1997, TV FOOD NETWORK, G.P., All Rights Reserved
Busted by Gail Shermeyer <4paws@netrax.net> on May 24, 1997  Recipe by:
TVFN: RECIPE FOR HEALTH SHOW #RHC218 Posted to MC-Recipe  Digest V1
#623 by 4paws@netrax.net (Shermeyer-Gail) on May 29, 1997

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