Rachel Klein, Executive Chef of Red Stripe, shared her skills in the most recent Small Bites cooking video, which beautifully showcases her global style of cooking. She takes from many cultures to create interesting dishes with simple ingredients. Take pan-roasted salmon, for example. She was inspired by Indian spices and paired it with delicious black dal lentils and spiced yogurt. She added color and texture with spring vegetables of purple cauliflower, spring peas and Romanesco broccoli.
Though there are four parts to the recipe, it can be prepared in less than 1 hour. You make the yogurt sauce, then the dal, and then the veggies, and finally cook the salmon, she said. The dish, Salmon With Dal Lentils, Spiced Yogurt and Spring Vegetables, comes from Klein’s new spring menu served at Red Stripe in Providence and East Greenwich. Check out the full recipe and video below.
Salmon With Dal Lentils, Spiced Yogurt and Spring Vegetables
Spiced Yogurt (see recipe)
Black Lentil Dal (see recipe)
Spring Veggies (see recipe)
4 7-ounce salmon fillets
Spiced Yogurt
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups chopped cilantro
- 1 ½ cups whole-milk Greek yogurt
- ½ cup chopped mint
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Kosher salt, to taste
- White ground pepper to taste
- Cayenne pepper to taste
- Mix all together using spatula. Put aside.
Black Lentil Dal
- 2 ounces clarified butter
- 2 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- Cayenne powder, to taste
- 3 cups pureed plum tomato from a can
- 2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cup dried black lentils
- 2 ½ quarts vegetable stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
Heat clarified butter over medium heat.
Add onion and cumin seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is browned in spots.
Add garlic and ginger, cook for 1 minute more.
Add the rest of the spices and tomato and cook for 3 minutes more, scraping up any stuck bits. Add vegetable stock and salt, then lentils.
Bring to simmer, and then reduce to low and cover and cook until lentils are tender, between 35 and 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Before serving, add heavy cream and reduce until thick and creamy.
Add chopped cilantro.
Adjust spices and seasonings to taste.
Spring Veggies
- 1 shallot, julienne
- 1 cup Romanesco, blanched
- 1 cup purple cauliflower, blanched
- 1 cup English peas, blanched
- 1 cup French breakfast radish, blanched
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Blanch veggies in salted, boiling salted water until al dente.
In a sauté pan add clarified butter and sauté shallots. Add veggies and sauté until warm.
Add ½ cup veggie stock or water and butter.
Season with salt and pepper
Seared Salmon
Make the three recipes before cooking the salmon.
To cook the salmon, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Salt and pepper the fillets. In a hot, oven-safe pan with a little oil, sear the salmon fillets on one side. Flip the fillets and place the pan in the oven to cook for 10 minutes or until done to your liking.
Plate the lentil dal mixture first, then add the salmon. The yogurt goes on the salmon and the veggies finish off the plate.
Serves: 4
