Polski text tu.
This salad is a surprise – not very colorful, but very flavorful – simply excellent addition to oriental meals or a cold buffet for any occasion. It keeps well in the fridge.
For 4-6 people you need
- 250 g green lentils,
Bouillion:
- Few black peppercorns,
- clove of garlic,
- 2 bay leaves,
- 1 onion, peeled,
- few cloves, set into this onion (push them in with your thumb, but gently, it may hurt!!)
- about 1 liter of water (must produce enough stock in which later to boil the lentils)
Vinegrette:
- 2 shallots, cut finely,
- 1 tsp of Dijon mustard,
- a pinch of ground cumin,
- few black peppercorns,
- 2-3 tbsp of white wine vinegar with thyme,
- salt
- 1/6 cup of olive oil
- 1/6 cup of walnut or peanut oil,
Additional:
- 2 stems of celery, chopped,
- 2 tbsp of green parsley (i use the flat leaf ‘Italian’) chopped
- Handful of roasted walnuts (place on a cookie sheet in mid-hot oven, wait, until darken – i also stir them occasionally),
- 1 large onion, sliced in ‘feathers’,
- Some oil for frying the onion
Make the bullion
- Place the onion with cloves, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves in the pot with water.
- Bring to boils and simmer for some time (one hour?).
- Strain, retain the liquid only.
Make the vinegrette
- Mix all vinegrette components except for the oils,
- Gradually add oils and mix energetically, until the result is sensibly smooth.
- Set aside
Process lentils
- Drop the lentils into the boiling stock,
- Add salt only towards the end of cooking; the grains should remain tender but not soft!
- Strain
- Mix HOT lentils with vinegrette and parsley and celery
- Set aside and let the tastes mix well while everything cools down.
Prepare the dressing and fold
- Feathered onion fry in hot oil until brown
- When ready, loose the excess grease by placing the onion on paper towel
- Mix lentils with nuts, perhaps add some salt and pepper
- Fold into a serving dish, drop the onion on top.