Ingredients
Cod
4 cod fillets, each weighing 150 g
Olive oil
Salt to season
Black pepper to season
Lentils
300 g of puy lentils
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
1 celery stick, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
150 g of pancetta
10 g of butter
10 ml of vegetable oil
Salt
Pepper
To serve
50 g of pancetta
10 ml of sherry vinegar
50 g of baby carrots, sliced and pre-boiled
1 bunch of spring onions, sliced
10 g of butter
10 ml of olive oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C
For the lentils, heat the oil and butter in a frying pan over a low-medium heat.
Add the onions and carrots and sweat for 15 minutes.
Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaf, celery and pancetta. Sweat for 5 minutes, then drain to remove any excess fat.
Line a large bowl with a piece of muslin cloth and pour all of the cooked ingredients into the bowl.
Tie the muslin loosely to encase the ingredients before adding to a large pan.
Add the lentils, cover with water then bring to the boil.
Turn the heat down and leave to simmer for 30 minutes.
Once the lentils are cooked, season with salt and pepper and leave to cool.
Once cool enough to handle, squeeze the muslin bag over a bowl to catch all of the juices.
Discard the muslin and vegetables and reserve the juices.
Place a frying pan over a high heat and add oil.
Once hot, add the pancetta and fry for 1-2 minutes, then pour in the sherry vinegar to deglaze.
Add the lentils and pre-boiled carrots to the pan with a splash of the reserved cooking juices.
Finish with the butter, olive oil and spring onions and keep to one side while you cook the cod.
Season the fillets of cod and place skin-side down onto a baking tray.
Cook in the oven for 4-5 minutes until cooked through.
Remove the fish from the oven, carefully flip the cod over and leave to rest for a few minutes.
Drizzle with olive oil and then serve onto plates with the lentils.
Recipes courtesy of Great British Chefs. Visit their site for more delicious lentil recipes