Chermoula

Envious though I am of David Lebovitz's life, writing about food from his Paris apartment, I do love his recipes, and this one is no exception.

David points out that just a dab of this sauce is all that’s needed to enliven a dish, so I like to keep a pot of it in the refrigerator. He claims it will last a few days, but I think the flavor is still fresh a week later.

Makes about 3/4 cup, enough for 4–6 servings

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/3 cup (15g) coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup (15g) coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
6 to 8 tablespoons (90 to 125ml) olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili paste (or 1/2 to 1 fresh chile, seeded and chopped)

Sprinkle the cumin seeds in a skillet and toast them over medium to high heat, stirring, until they smell fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mini-chopper or food processor (or in a mortar and pestle), place the parsley, cilantro, garlic, smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 6 tablespoons (90ml) olive oil, salt, chili paste, and toasted cumin. Grind until smooth. (You'll see from the photograph that my Vitamix is a speedy alternative to chopping!)

Taste and add the additional teaspoon of lemon juice and the rest of the olive oil (or more), if necessary, so the sauce is a loose paste.

Sea Bass with Lentils and Pancetta

I just took a great little vacation to London, England. My British friends took me to the restaurant of a fantastic Israeli chef working in Britain,, taking flavor inspiration from the Middle East and Turkey - Yotam Ottolenghi. His new book, Plenty More, is just about to be published. This is one of his recipes.

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 lentils
40g 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.