Lentil, Raw Fennel, Smoked Trout Salad with a grilled lemon

I love dishes like this, simple yet so tasty, with endless possibilities for variety. You can exchange lentils for beluga or puy lentils, you can use chicken, smoked turkey or tuna even a fried egg to replace the trout. The fennel can be replaced by stewed leek or raw paprika. The only ingredient I would not swap out would be the avocado as it gives that creamy texture that no other ingredient I know.

Ingredients for 2:

2 files of smoked trout
1 whole lemon
1/2 fennel bulb
1 avocado
2 dl brown lentils
drizzle of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
2 stalks of fresh dill
1 stalk of celery
1 stock cube (veggie or chicken)
Approx 3,5 dl water
salt + pepper

Cooking the lentils is much like cooking risotto, instead of boiling them in water, use a stock cube mixed in a can of water and add small amount of water to the lentils while they simmer on a low heat.  This will give lots of flavour to the lentils as well as reducing the lentils from bursting and loosing their form.

1. Boil the water and add the stock cube, mix to dissolve the stock cube. 
2. place the lentils and 1 dl water in a pan and bring to a simmer. Cook the lentils as you would a risotto, keep adding water once the water has reduced and the lentils start to look dry. 
3. Slice the fennel bulb in half down the length. The slice the fennel thinly horizontally. 
4. Wash your lemon. Heat a grill pan, sprinkle water over the pan to, you want the water to sizzle. Then half a lemon and place both halves with the open inner side face down. Leave on a mid heat for 3-4min. You want a scortched lemon. Place the lemon halves to the side. 
5. Halve the avocado and scoop out the flesh and slice into cubes. 
6. Divide the lentils between two bowls, adding half the fennel, celery and chopped dill to both. Mix. 
7. Then add the half the avocado to each. 
8. Top with the smoked trout. 
9. Finally drizzle some cold pressed olive oil over the top and salt + pepper. 
10. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top.