Puy Lentil, Anchovy & Egg Salad
I found myself on London Road, Brighton for the first time in ages the other day for a meeting but as I was hours early I headed to the charity shops which are always great for food props - much better than flea markets because they're dirt cheap and some even have endearing chips and knocks. I find new props always inspires to cook and it just so happened that I spotted a gorgeous recipe while flicking through a copy of Homes & Garden (some photos I did for Workshop are due anytime soon which is always exciting) and concocted my own version of it the next day with what I had in. I adore puy lentils - I keep jars of them in the larder and often use them when I'm running low on food in the fridge but also they're a great wheat free lunch alternative to sandwiches which is high in good protein and therefore good for keeping the blood sugar balanced. You can make a simple puy lentil base at the weekend and it will keep in the fridge for a few days then you can add what you like - tear in some mackerel and pop a wedge of lemon in the box with them, shake in some halloumi chunks with some celery or just have with a lovely dressing. Anyway.. I digress, you could of course have them just like this...
Subtle flavours make this dish so you'll need to dress the lentils a good time in advance or the day before.
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 35 mins
Serves: 3
Ingredients
250g puy lentils
1 small onion, chopped
1 small bunch flat parsley, chopped
3 good quality eggs
handful small salad leaves - I used chicory tips but you can use whatever you fancy
Large pinch or two of fresh cress or purple amaranth
tbsp rapeseed oil
9-12 anchovies
For the dressing:
tsp mustard, wholegrain or dijon
1 small clove garlic, chopped or grated
1 tbsp sherry or cider vinegar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
Put the puy lentils in a large saucepan and generously cover with water, bring to boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until the lentils are tender.
In the meantime, mix together the dressing ingredients and fry the onions in the rapeseed oil until softened.
Drain the lentils and rinse with fresh boiling water. Now add the onions, the parsley and 3/4 of the dressing. When cool put in fridge, the longer you can leave the better but at least 3 hours - bring back to or temperature before serving.
Slowly lower the eggs into a saucepan of boiling water and cook for 6.5 minutes, then bring them out quickly and run under the cold water tap. Shell them and carefully slice in half with a sharp knife.
Arrange the lentils on your plates or shallow bowls, add some salad leaves and cress then top with 3-4 anchovies and an egg each.
Finally, dress with the remaining dressing.