Gordon Ramsey is one of the UK’s biggest chefs, with thousands of recipes to his name. While many are healthy, tasty and easy to make, a few are incredibly beneficial for people trying to keep their cholesterol levels and liver in check.
One standout dish is from his Ultimate Fit Food cookbook. The Michelin-starred chef’s grilled salmon with garlic mushroom and lentil salad recipe is packed full of ‘powerhouse’ superfoods brimming with vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and antioxidants.
The meal, which is perfect for lunch or dinner, takes around 30 minutes to make and requires salmon, mushrooms, lentils, arugula and various other kitchen cupboard essentials for seasoning. Below is a guide on how to replicate the dish at home and why it is beneficial to add to your diet.
Ingredients:
- Two sprigs of thyme
- Four 100g wild salmon fillets
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 200g chopped chestnut mushrooms
- One bay leaf
- 100g arugula leaves
- 200g large flat or Portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 800ml vegetable stock (or water)
- Two cloves peeled and finely chopped garlic
- 200g Puy lentils
- One tablespoon of olive oil
What you need for the dressing:
- One teaspoon of runny honey
- Two tablespoons of white wine vinegar
- One garlic clove, peeled and crushed
- One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- One tablespoon of water
- One tablespoon of wholegrain mustard
Gordon Ramsey’s recipe:
Start by placing the lentils in a large saucepan along with the bay leaf, thyme, and either stock or water. Heat it over medium-high until it reaches a boil, then lower the heat to let it simmer. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes until the lentils are tender.
Meanwhile, heat a frying pan on medium-high and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, toss in the mushrooms with a pinch of salt. Sauté them for six to eight minutes, stirring occasionally, until they become soft and have caramelisation on the edges.
Next, add the chopped garlic and cook for two more minutes before removing the pan from the heat. When the lentils are cooked, drain them and discard the herbs.
Transfer the lentils to a large mixing bowl and combine them with the mushrooms, mixing gently to keep them intact. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a clean jam jar, adding a pinch of salt and pepper. Secure the lid and shake until the dressing is well-mixed and emulsified.
Preheat your grill to high and grill the salmon for six to eight minutes. Drizzle half of the dressing over the warm lentils and toss gently to coat everything. Fold in the rocket, place the salmon on top, and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Serve right away.
How it lowers cholesterol and inflammation:
Salmon is the only meat in the dish. The fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce inflammation and the risk of fatty liver disease. The essential fatty acids also improve liver lipid metabolism and enhance detoxification capacity. Salmon contains astaxanthin, an antioxidant that can help reduce inflammation in the heart and liver – and fibrosis.
In terms of cholesterol, salmon can lower LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol by up to 7%, increase HDL ‘good’ cholesterol by up to 5% and decrease triglycerides by up to 15%. This fish reduces systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure, while its omega-3 fatty acids can slow the rate at which plaque builds up in your arteries.
Arugula, otherwise known as rocket, contains fibre, which helps with digestion and can lower homocysteine to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. The salad leaf even helps prevent liver damage from aflatoxins – toxins produced by fungi on crops. As arugula features sulforaphane and Indole-3-carbinol, these support liver detoxification and decrease cancer cells as well.
Lentils are another superfood packed with fibre, which helps detoxify and provides a great source of plant-based protein. They also normalise the blood sugars and aid in reducing cholesterol levels. Research indicates that having less than one cup of lentils each day can decrease cholesterol, improve blood sugar response, and reduce inflammation.