Warm Lentil Salad with Sausage and Potatoes - Salade de Lentilles à la Lyonnaise

By Babette's Feast • December 29, 2009 • 0 Comments

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Author Notes: This is a classic bistro food from the region of Lyon. Warm green lentils are served with sliced cooked potatoes, Lyon sausage and dressed with vinaigrette sauce. The Lyon Sausage is a dry pork sausage normally made with pistacchios. This is the traditional recipe which I have adapted in case you don't find Lyon sausage. It's good all the same, I promise! - Babette's Feast

Serves 4

9 ounces Green lentils, preferably "Lentils du Puy"
1 onion studded with a clove and 3 black peppercorns
1 bouquet garni (3 sprigs of thyme, 3 sprigs of parsley and 1 bay leaf)
18 ounces pork Lyon Sausage or dry sausage
2 medium potatoes
Parsley leaves for decoration
Fleur de Sel for finishing touch
6 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Cider vinegar
salt
pepper

Make the bouquet garni by making a bundle with 3 sprigs of thyme, 3 sprigs of parsley and 1 bay leaf tied with kitchen string.
Pick through and wash the green lentils and cook in a large pot with 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.
Drain. Put back in the pot with the onion with the clove and the bouquet garni. Cover with boiling water, bring to a boil, cover with lid, allow to simmer for 15 minutes (for cooking time please check the instructions in your package). Season with salt and cook 3 minutes more covered with lid.
Wash the potatoes thoroughly leaving them whole with skin on.
Prick the sausage piercing the skin.
Bring a pot with water to a boil and add the potatoes with the skin and the pork sausage and allow to cook at medium low heat until potatoes are cooked through.
Make a vinaigrette sauce by whisking together the olive oil, the vinegar, salt and pepper.
Peel the potatoes and cut in slices or in cubes (this depends how rustic or modern you want to serve the dish). While still hot, drizzle with some vinaigrette.
Peel the sausage and cut in slices or in cubes.
Drain the lentils and season with some vinaigrette. Check seasoning and keep warm.
Serve still warm.
For a rustic presentation put the lentils in a serving dish with potato slices and sausage slices and sprinkle with some parsley.
For a modern presentation, put on the centre of the plate some lentils, potatoes and sausage pieces, drizzle a little olive oil, sprinkle some Fleur de Sel and garnish with a parsley leaf.