Dinner Tonight: Warm Sausage and Lentil Salad
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I've become rather enamored of lentils lately. They're cheap, versatile, and more nutritious than carbohydrates like rice and pasta (lentils are a legume, like beans). They're a go-to ingredient when you want to stretch a meal a bit further.
Lentils and sausage are a classic combination, often as a stew, probably because it's such an affordable way to serve a lot of people. The sausage becomes a seasoning, rather than the main event.
This recipe, from Stéphane Reynaud's Pork & Sons (previously a "Cook the Book" on Serious Eats), simmers the sausages in the same pot as the lentils so the flavors and fats infuse. The earthy lentils are then tossed with a balsamic-based vinaigrette that's fortified with a little bacon (which is never a bad thing), then topped with the sausage. The original recipe was more complicated and called for walnut oil, but I simplified, replacing it with olive oil, and was happy with the results.
Warm Sausage and Lentil Salad
About the author: Blake Royer lives in Brooklyn and spends most of his free time cooking and writing about it here at Serious Eats and on The Paupered Chef. From 9 to 5 weekdays, he works as an assistant book editor in Manhattan.
Ingredients
yield: 4
- 2 1/4 cups green lentils, preferably Puy, the French green kind
- 2 links Italian sausage, about 1/2 pound
- 1/3 cup chopped bacon
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Balsamic vinegar to taste
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped hazelnuts (optional)
- Slim bunch of chives, chopped
Procedures
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1
Simmer lentils with sausage in plenty of water and a bouquet garni (French for "garnished bouquet"; optional), for 30 to 40 minutes, until the lentils are cooked through. (Other types of lentils will require less cooking time.)
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2
In the meantime, saute the bacon over medium heat until browned but not crisp.
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3
Combine the Dijon, olive oil, shallots, chives, and bacon with its fat in a small jar or bowl. Shake well or whisk, then add the balsamic vinegar little by little to form a vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper.
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4
Once cooled, slice the sausage. Toss the lentils with the vinaigrette and top with the sliced sausage. Finish with a little chopped shallot, chive, and the hazelnuts.
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