Warm Lentil and Smoked Pork Belly Salad

Name: Warm Lentil and Smoked Pork Belly Salad
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 3/4 pound smoked pork belly, or good-quality slab bacon, cut 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick; 1 large onion, halved, each half stuck with a clove; 4 thyme branches; 1 small carrot, peeled; 1 cup small green French lentils, cleaned and rinsed; 1 small bay leaf; Salt and pepper; 1 pound fingerling potatoes; 1 large shallot, finely diced; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 2 garlic cloves, smashed to a paste; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1/4 cup fruity olive oil; 2 teaspoons capers, rinsed and roughly chopped; 2 tablespoons cornichons or other sour gherkins, roughly chopped; 1/4 cup chopped scallions, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish; 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish.

By David Tanis

Total Time: About 1 hour
Rating: 4(82)
Comments: Read comments

For this recipe, you really do need to use French lentils. Ordinary brown supermarket lentils can be fine for soup, but for a good lentil salad, you want those beautiful little imported gray-green lentilles du Puy. If you must, reasonable substitutes include: the black so-called Beluga lentils or the tiny Castelluccio lentils from Umbria in Italy. These lentils keep their shape when cooked and have a firm, nutty texture that holds up in a vinaigrette. They cost more, but their superior flavor makes them worth it. Indulge.

Featured in: City Kitchen: A Lentil, That Object of Desire

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

¾pound smoked pork belly, or good-quality slab bacon, cut 1½ to 2 inches thick
1large onion, halved, each half stuck with a clove
4thyme branches
1small carrot, peeled
1cup small green French lentils, cleaned and rinsed
1small bay leaf
Salt and pepper
1pound fingerling potatoes
1large shallot, finely diced
2tablespoons red wine vinegar
2garlic cloves, smashed to a paste
1tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼cup fruity olive oil
2teaspoons capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
2tablespoons cornichons or other sour gherkins, roughly chopped
¼cup chopped scallions, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
½cup chopped flat leaf parsley, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish.

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Put the pork belly or bacon in a pot with one of the onion halves stuck with a clove, 2 small thyme branches and the carrot. Cover with a quart of water and simmer gently until tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Turn off heat and keep warm in liquid.
Step 2
Meanwhile, put the lentils in a pan. Add the other .5 onion stuck with a clove, 2 small thyme branches and the bay leaf. Add 4 cups water and a little salt. Simmer gently over medium heat until firm-tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain (discard onion, thyme and bay leaf) and keep warm.
Step 3
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in their skins in well-salted water until done, about 15 minutes. Drain and keep warm.
Step 4
Make the vinaigrette: Macerate the shallot in the red wine vinegar for 5 minutes in a small bowl. Add the garlic, Dijon mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil to make a thick sauce. Stir in the chopped capers and cornichons. Just before serving, stir in .25 cup scallions and .5 cup parsley.
Step 5
To serve, dress the lentils with half the vinaigrette, then transfer to a platter or serving bowl. Slice the pork belly crosswise into .25-inch slices (save the broth for soup) and arrange over the lentils. Cut the potatoes lengthwise and arrange, cut-side up, around the platter. Spoon the remaining vinaigrette over the sliced meat and potatoes. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon each scallions and parsley.

Ratings

4 out of 5

82 user ratings

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Comments

vicki6 years ago

Merged two recipes here. The pork belly I had was already sour vided, if that is a word, so prepared the vinaigrette, lentils and potatoes. But glazed and broiled the pork belly slices with the bourbon glaze from a recipe by Oliver Schwaner-Albright named Crisp Pork Belly. Excellent!

Ellen4 years ago

This recipe was so delicious. I couldn't get a smoked pork belly but I did get a local berkshire pork belly and roasted it in the oven for 6 hours at 200 wrapped in parchment paper and 2 layers of aluminum foil and kept it wrapped overnight in the refrigerator. Crisped and warmed it for 15 minutes in some of the fat and kept it warm for the salad. The lentils, potatoes, dressing and pork belly were amazing. Thank you! .

kevin2 years ago

Can I skip the pork and use smoked fish?

jakinthekitchen3 years ago

I didn't have access to a smoked pork belly and slow-roasted one instead. And, to be fair, I didn't have cornichons or parsley. But I was sadly underwhelmed by this recipe. The earthiness of the lentils and acidity of the vinaigrette begged for something rich on top, and I think the pork belly needed a salty/mildly sweet glaze...which I'll make for the leftovers.

Ellen4 years ago

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