Plate Expectations: Sumac crusted pita bread and smoked trout salad

On a recent trip to Tel Aviv, I purchased sumac,  a red sour spice made from dried ground berries. Also available in your local supermarket, sumac is the perfect ingredient for this tasty salad.  To make ahead, you can cook, then chill the lentils, as well as bake the pita and store in an airtight container.

Preparation Time: 35 mins Cooking Time:  25 mins  Serves: 6

Ingredients 

200g puy lentils 

3 large pita breads – cut into triangles

1 teaspoon sumac

300g fresh blackberries

Juice 1 lemon

2 teaspoons honey

Salt and freshly-ground black pepper – to taste

50ml olive oil

1 cucumber – finely sliced

1 red onion – thinly sliced

Bunch of fresh mint

300g smoked trout – flesh flaked

150g soft goat’s cheese

1 box mustard & cress

METHOD

1 Heat the oven to 200°C/ 400°F/Gas mark 6.

2 Put the lentils in a covered saucepan filled with 750ml boiling water and cook gently for 25 minutes. Drain and cool when cooked. Set aside.

3 Brush the pita with olive oil and sumac. Season with salt and pepper.

4 Bake for 10 minutes or until crisp. Set aside.

5 Crush half the blackberries in a bowl with lemon juice and honey. Season, and whisk in 50ml olive oil to make a dressing.

6 Put the lentils, pita bread, cucumber, onion and mint, the remaining blackberries and trout in a bowl.

7 Gently toss and transfer to a serving platter. Scatter over goat’s cheese, mustard & cress and a sprinkling of sumac.

See more of Denise’s recipes at www.jewishcookery.com

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