Here's how to impress your friends and family with a piece of fish, a few lentils and some stale white bread...

Recipes Callum Hann | Photographs Brendan Homan | Styling Natalie Homan

Slow baked salmon with almond tarator, lentil and asparagus tabouli
serves 4

500g side of salmon, skinless and pin-boned
1 tbsp olive oil
pinch of salt
2 tsp sumac
¼ bunch parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped

almond tarator
2 slices stale white bread, crusts removed,
roughly torn
60g blanched almonds, roasted
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 tbsp tahini
1 ½ tbsp white wine vinegar
⅓ cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 160C (fan-forced). Place salmon on a lined baking tray. Drizzle with one tablespoon oil and a pinch of salt. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just cooked.
Meanwhile, prepare tarator sauce by soaking bread in cold water for 5 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Place bread, almonds, garlic, tahini and vinegar in a small food processor. Blitz until smooth and gradually drizzle in oil until emulsified and creamy.
To serve, spread tarator sauce over the top side of the salmon, sprinkle with sumac and garnish with parsley. Serve accompanied by lentil and asparagus tabouli.

lentil and asparagus tabouli
serves 4

½ cup lentils
1 tbsp olive oil, plus 2 tbsp extra
2 bunches of asparagus, cut into thirds
2 tbsp dried cranberries
2 tbsp toasted pistachios
½ bunch of mint
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Pinch of salt

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Cook lentils for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook asparagus for 2-3 minutes or until tender and lightly charred.
Combine asparagus, cranberries, half the pistachios, half the mint, lemon juice, pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons oil with the warm lentils. Toss until well combined.
To serve, garnish salad with remaining pistachios and mint.

 

This recipe first appeared in the February 2021 issue of SALIFE magazine.