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Whole Side of Steelhead or Seasonal Salmon

Ras el hanout crust
1 loaf bread (fresh, crust removed)
1 Tbs + 1 tsp ras el hanout (Moroccan spice blend)
1/4 cup pure olive oil
Salt

Pull apart the loaf into small pieces less than 1 inch in length, and spread on a sheet pan. Toss the bread with the olive oil and ras el hanout, then season with salt. Bake at 300°, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp. Let cool, then grind in a food processor to breadcrumb consistency. Check seasoning and adjust with salt as needed.

Cauliflower-Walnut Sauce
2 Tbs butter
1 med. onion, peeled and sliced
2 lbs. cauliflower, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
2 quarts vegetable stock
6 oz walnut oil
Salt and white pepper

Sweat the onions in the butter with salt over low heat, in a covered container, until tender. Add the cauliflower, vegetable stock, and more salt, and simmer until very tender. Puree in a blender with the oil until smooth. Season with salt and white pepper.

Grilled Red Onions
Slice the onions 1/2-inch thick. Rub with pure olive oil, season with salt and pepper on both sides, and grill on both sides, until browned and tender. Remove to a sheet pan, preserving the slices as much as possible, then when cool cut the slices into quarters, producing pieces of grilled onion up to about an inch in length.

Lentils
Render Pancetta in a pan, add 1–2 cups of lentils and toast till they smell nutty. Cover the lentils barely with veg stock. Simmer, covered, very slowly, stirring often, until lentils are tender, seasoning with salt after about 45 minutes — it should take 1 1/2 hours total for them to cook. Add more water as needed, but there should not be any left at the end. Transfer the lentils to a sheet pan lined with parchment, season with salt while still warm and let cool.

Lentil Salad Vinaigrette
4–5 oz banyuls vinegar
2 oz champagne vinegar
8 oz olive oil
Salt (to taste)

Dissolve the salt in the vinegars, then whisk in the oil. Correct seasoning. Store in refrigerator.

To Serve

Season the salmon with salt on both sides and black pepper on the bottom only. Top with a thin layer of breadcrumbs. Put on a baking sheet brushed with olive oil and bake in a 325° oven until medium.

When the fish is almost cooked, heat a scant 1/4 cup of lentils and 2 tablespoons of grilled red onions with some of the vinaigrette, salt and black pepper. Warm but do not boil the sauce in a covered container.

When the lentils and onions are warm but not hot, add some arugula, season with a little salt, and toss off the heat to coat with the vinaigrette. Plate the salad.