Flakey roasted salmon with cool creamy yoghurt, tomato chilli confit and crispy roasted lentils

One of the dishes I make the most often

There’s no easy way to say this. I can’t sugar coat it so I’m just going to say it. This is one of the most delicious ways to eat salmon you will ever come across. There I said it. And it (this dish I mean) is a hill I’m willing to die on. I eat a variation of this at least once a week, if not more and I will never ever tire of it. Have people coming for supper and want to impress them? Make this. Had a long day and need something delicious? Make this.

It’s simple but like with most really great dishes, simplicity is the key. Cool and creamy yoghurt, topped with confit tomatoes and onion, crispy roasted lentils and perfectly cooked salmon.

I’ve shared a salmon and lentil dish with you before, and I make no apologies for sharing another one with you. This one is similar (in that it’s salmon and lentils) but also very different. The main difference being this recipe is built around the tomato chilli confit. Tomato chilli confit is an incredibly delicious thing - and would be good with so many things. Scoop onto a bed of yoghurt and plonk it on the table with wedges of crusty bread and just let people dig in. Stir through hot spaghetti and top with plenty of parmesan for a mind blowingly good pasta. Serve with fish, steak, chicken as a veggie side / sauce situation. I mean there’s just not much tomato chilli confit wouldn’t go with and wouldn’t wildly improve. Don’t be scared by the amount of oil you have to use, it is necessary for the whole process of confit-ing but you don’t have to eat all the oil at the end. Scoop out the tomatoes and other gubbins and then bottle the oil, whatever you do don’t discard it, but tip into a jar or bottle and use it for drizzling and sizzling and everything will be delicious. I like to get those squeezy bottles from Amazon and have some of this oil sitting next to my hob. Very comforting to know you have a flavour bomb sitting in a squeezy bottle. I mean tear open a burrata, pop it on a plate and drizzle over this oil and that’s heaven right there.

Now let’s talk crispy lentils. I love lentils. The pouches of pre cooked puy lentils are a store cupboard staple for me. Bung them in the microwave for a few minutes and they make the most delicious basis for so many simple suppers. They aren’t hard to cook, but they take a little while and I find I always want to eat quicker than that. If you do boil them, dress them with some olive oil straight after draining. When they are hot they will soak up the flavour you give them, so toss in some crushed garlic and chilli, lots of salt and pepper and be generous with the oil and oh my goodness, so good. I digress, because I was about to ask have you tried roasting them before? Tip the cooked lentils (from a pouch or tin, I don’t expect you to have time to cook them from the cupboard a weeknight) onto a baking tray, drizzle with a little oil and seasonings and then roast until gorgeously crispy. These make such a good snack to grab by the handful throughout the day - also really good with roasted sunflower seeds in there too. And I love them sprinkled on salads etc. And here in this dish with the flakey salmon and creamy yoghurt, they provide the perfect crunch. So so good.

There are 3 elements to this dish, well 4 really if you include the yoghurt. And all three you just bung in the oven which makes this very easy and breezy and fluster free. Let the oven do the hard work so you don’t have to. Mix together the yoghurt and assemble. Really so simple.

Photos don’t do this dish justice, I wish I could cook it for all of you at one huge supper club just to show you how delicious it is. But as I can’t do that, I really hope you will give this a go and I hope it becomes a firm favourite in your house too. I’ve said it before but I keep saying it because it’s true - it’s honestly the most amazing feeling when I get messages about my recipes and to hear you’ve been cooking them and enjoying them. And that people are getting more confident in the kitchen! I had a lovely message from a subscriber who says he’s not much of a cook but his wife bought him a subscription to Dinner Tonight and he now does a weekly “Margie Special” and he’s actually enjoying cooking for the first time! Hearing that made my week! I hope that doesn’t sound like boasting, I don’t tell you that to boast, more just how incredible it is to me that something I dreamt up in my kitchen then becomes a dish you and your family love is just amazing and I’m so grateful I get to do this job. Anyway, sorry for waffling, Just wanted to say a huge thank you.

As mentioned, this recipe requires 3 elements to be cooked in the oven, you will need 2 baking trays and a small dish which only has to be large enough to fit the salmon in. This is worth thinking about before you preheat the oven so you can make sure everything is going to fit at the same time. The tomato tray doesn’t have to be huge - the lentil one will be the biggest as it’s best if the lentils can be spread out to have enough space to get nice and crispy. I’m also going to tell you in The Notes how to pan fry the salmon if this is just too much work for your oven and you’d prefer to fry it. That way you have options!