Lentils aux Lardons
Necessity isn't the mother of invention. Time is.
At least in our home. As you well know, we love lots of salads in the fridge, mostly because they're so easy to pull out during the week. There's lunch ready whenever we are. In minutes.
And lately, I'm all about the minutes. Maybe it's the impatience of my ADVANCED age. I turned fifty today.
Fifty?!?! I don't even know how I let this happen. I know you'll tell me there's only one other option. But if I'd been smarter, I could have figured out a third way.
And no, a face lift doesn't count.
Anyway, I'm all over salads like this one. Because I've got things to do. And fewer minutes to do them in. So on to this bacony salad, modeled on a French classic (only without the egg).
First, boil 1 cup green lentils (the tiny French ones, sometimes called "puy lentils," available in most gourmet stores, high-end supermarkets, and here) in a pot of water until tender, about 15 minutes. How much water? Enough to cover them to a depth of a couple inches. Put the lentils in the saucepan, dump in the water, and bring it to a boil. Drop the heat a little so the pot doesn't roil too violently.
Drain the lentils in a colander set in the sink and pour them into a big bowl.
Now slice three strips of bacon, preferably nitrate-free bacon, into little strips. Fry these in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat until quite crunchy, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Of course you can use turkey bacon or even soy bacon. (Oddly, I sort of like the soy protein substitutes. I really like the ground beef ones. Go figure.)
Use a slotted spoon to get the bacon bits into the big bowl with the lentils, then put 1 chopped, medium shallot into the skillet with that hot bacon grease and cook until soft and gorgeous, a couple minutes, stirring often. And of course you can use turkey bacon--or even soy bacon.
OK, brace yourself. Now mix 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce into the skillet with the sizzling, softened shallots. Stir well until bubbling, then pour everything in that skillet (told you: brace yourself) over the lentils in the bowl. Add a couple ribs of celery, thinly sliced. And give it many turns of black pepper from the grinder and you're good to go, real food all the way, no matter if it's your birthday or not.
bacon, lentils, make-ahead lunch, make-ahead salad, salad
Reader Comments (10)
happy birthday, mark! may you enjoy health and prosperity always!
omg, i swear a harp started playing in my head after reading 'aux lardons'. sold. and that shallot is like the cherry on the cake.
Happy Birthday! Wow, auspicious occasion, hope you guys are celebrating in style!
Nice looking salad, but I believe it's actually not legal in Australia to sell nitrate-free bacon!
Happy birthday, Mark, and the salad looks delicious. Would you categorize soy protein substitutes as "real food," though?
Bryan: I think I would. But it depends on how it's made and how it's used. It is highly processed, no doubt. And it often has a high chemical signature. But there are good varieties available at high-end markets. As you probably know, we have several categories: real food, almost real food, barely real food, and not real food. I have a feeling that most of those fall into the "almost" or "barely" category. Still, they are an alternative for people who don't eat meat. And alternatives is what the whole "real food" plan is all about. But I'm curious to know what you think. Maybe we'll put this up as a larger discussion later this week.
And oh, right: welcome here!
M.
Oh yum. Not much more I can say than that. That looks great and sounds fabulous. I'm always happy to find more ways to use worchestershire sauce!
Happy belated birthday.
I have a question -- there seems to be celery in the bowl in the first picture, but it's not mentioned in the recipe. Am I seeing things?
Nope, Laura, you weren't seeing things. And you were right, too. Thanks for all that. I wrote that post on book tour--and I think I was fried. Eleven flights in ten days. I could barely breathe. But still, my fault entirely. Mea culpa!
M.
Okay, I've made this salad twice and both times it looked NOTHING like the picture. It's a mushy-looking mess, albeit a tasty one. I tried it once with regular bacon and then a second time with turkey bacon so there would be less liquid and both times it was mush. Any thoughts/suggestions?
Susan: I talked to Bruce about this one and he said that you need to get away from "supermarket brown lentils" (those, his words) and instead use "honest-to-God French lentils, sometimes called puy lentils."
Look on amazon.com for Bob's Red Mill French Green Lentils, 24-Ounce Packages (Pack of 4). Or you can find these at Whole Foods and at almost all health-food stores. Bruce says he cannot find these at our local Stop&Shop, but he imagines they're available in a large supermarket with a large organic/natural food section. He says, "Chances are, they won't be with the split peas and dried beans in the regular aisles."
So. All that said, you might be using lentils designed for soup, ones which fall apart and turn too mushy. You're right: the taste would be great, but the final product would be more gummy.
I hope all this information helps. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear from the start. I adjusted the copy above to include a link to the amazon page and a clarification of the "green" lentil part.
M.
Thank you, Bruce and Mark, I'll give it another shot!