Don't worry though, just because this is a fancy restaurateur does not mean it's complicated. I promised not to tax my followers and I am keeping that promise. This recipe is real easy, folks, and it surely has that wow factor.
Ingredients for 4 people
250g puy lentils40g unsalted butter
75ml olive oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 5mm dice
1 large onion, peeled and cut into 5mm dice
4 sticks celery, trimmed and cut into 5mm dice
300g pancetta, cut into 5mm dice
1 tbsp picked thyme leaves
¾ tsp ground turmeric
2 bay leaves
Salt and white pepper
400ml vegetable stock
150g creme fraiche
1 tsp white-wine vinegar
8 small sea bass fillets, trimmed, pin-boned and skin lightly scored
1½ tbsp lemon juice
10g picked parsley, roughly chopped
Method
Bring a medium pan of water to a boil, add the lentils and simmer for 18 minutes, till cooked but with some bite. Drain, refresh and set aside.Put a large saute pan on medium-high heat and add the butter and two tablespoons of oil. Once the butter has melted, add the diced veg and fry for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until caramelised and soft. Add 250g pancetta, fry for five minutes more, then add the lentils, thyme, turmeric, bay and half a teaspoon of white pepper. Cook for two minutes, stir in the stock, creme fraiche and vinegar, and taste – add a quarter-teaspoon of salt, if needed (it will depend on how salty the pancetta is). Set aside in a warm spot.
Put a large frying pan on medium-high heat and add the remaining pancetta and oil. When the bacon starts to sizzle, lay in the fish fillets skin side down. Fry for three to four minutes, then flip and cook for a minute on the flesh side. Spoon the lentils into four shallow bowls and lay two fillets on top of each serving. Finish with a drizzle of lemon juice and a sprinkle of parsley.
