Black Pepper Walleye and Beluga Lentils

Finally, a dish that isn't beige ! I wanted to serve some of this walleye we had in the freezer, a gift from my parents. And let's face it, walleye is a staple food in Minnesota. But, I was stumped as to what to serve with it, and even though I have quite a collection of recipes in the Beige Food Hall of Fame, it isn't quite time for a new addition. Then, I remembered the beluga lentils I picked up at the Farmers Market. We really love fish and lentils, but I had never cooked these before. 

I was intrigued by the color, and the small size. I had tasted them before at a seafood throwdown we attended several months ago. I decided to braise them, and add some carrots for color. They were delicious, and the fish was perfect. 

Black Pepper Walleye and Beluga Lentils 

For the lentils:
1 pound beluga lentils, rinsed
4 cups water
2 carrots. diced finely
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic. minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sriracha
Cover lentils in water, and simmer 45 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain all but 1/2 cup of liquid from pan and set aside. Return lentils to the pan. In a separate saute pan, heat olive oil and butter together. Saute carrots first, then add onions and garlic, until all are tender. Stir into the lentils, and add sriracha to taste. Simmer while you prepare the fish.

For the fish
4 walleye filets
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
White balsamic vinegar with honey and serrano
Generously season fish with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil and butter together in a non-stick saute pan (I re-used the pan from the carrot/onion garlic saute to save on cleanup). Cook fish 4-5 minutes per side until golden. Serve on top of lentils, sprinkle with the white balsamic vinegar. **You can use lemon juice here as well, we just really like this white balsamic vinegar with fish !