Prawn, lentil & radish salad with lemon & capers

Heat ½ tbsp of olive oil in a medium saucepan and gently sauté the onion and celery until they are soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then tip in the lentils and add enough water to cover them. (If you are using pre-cooked lentils, put them in a bowl and add the sautéed vegetables).

Bring the lentils to a boil then turn the heat down and simmer gently until they are just tender, anywhere between about 15-30 minutes. They can turn mushy very quickly so keep an eye on them. The length of time they take depends on their age so do watch them. You should check after first 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the water as well – the lentils shouldn’t get dry.

Drain, then add them to a broad, flat serving bowl, season really well and add a tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil, the finely grated zest and juice of ½ the lemon, the shallots, capers and parsley. (If you’re using lentils that are ready cooked just add the lemon, parsley, shallots and capers to them and season). The cooked lentils will suck up the flavours and the oil as they sit. You can make the dish ahead up to this point.

Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Remove the green bits from the top of the radishes if they’re not very fresh, and cut off any little tails at the bottom. Slice finely and toss into the lentils along with the dressing. Taste for seasoning.

Dry the prawns by blotting them with kitchen paper. If they’re wet they’ll just steam rather than fry. Heat some of the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan and cook half the prawns over a high heat until they have just turned pink and opaque. Season and toss them into the salad. Cook the rest, season, toss into the salad and squeeze some of the remaining lemon juice over them before serving.