The Puy Lentil Salad Detective Story

OK, a bit of a long story this one, but I promise it does end with a very tasty recipe.

At Christmas 2010 I made a return visit to Paris. Always a city I very much look forward to spending time in. A friend and I went to eat at the 'Restaurant Chartier' near the Place de l'Opera (http://www.restaurant-chartier.com/www/visit/filsdesans.php) on his recommendation. I was not disappointed. It's not fancy cuisine, but it's homely, well done and delicious without fuss. The waiters also possess the crisp efficiency that only French waiters have. Go and try the place if you're ever in Paris, but go very early in the evening. The restaurant is extremely popular and there was a long queue outside by the time we left.

For my starter that evening I had the Puy lentil salad. Never had one before and I like trying new things. It arrived, very simply presented on the plate, chilled with the minimum of garnish. It was incredibly tasty. Very well seasoned with some sort of creamy, slightly sweet dressing. I've been pondering how to reproduce this salad at home for the last year. The closest recipe I could find that seemed to describe what I'd eaten was in the 'Ripailles' cookbook, the 'Salade de lentilles aux herbes fraiches'. However, this contained things which had definitely not been in the dish I sampled at Chartier. Nevertheless, it did give the clue as to a potential 'secret' ingredient. This is Savora Mustard (https://www.frenchclick.co.uk/p-823-amora-savora-385g.aspx). A special mustard blend containing several additional spices and, importantly, honey which I thought I had detected in the original salad. I couldn't get the mustard in the UK (at least a search of local delis and supermarkets was fruitless) so I eventually got some imported via www.frenchclick.co.uk. The jar duly arrived this week.

I had my first go at preparing the salad this weekend, trying to match the flavour to my memory. It came off rather well. Exactly the same? No not quite, but close! Give this salad a go...if you can get the Savora mustard!!

Chilled Puy Lentil Salad


Ingredients:
70g Puy Lentils
1/4 Onion, finely chopped.
1/2 Stick of celery, finely chopped.
2 - 2 1/2 tsp Savora mustard.
1 1/2 tsp Mayonnaise
Squirt of fresh lemon juice.
Salt and pepper

Method:
1. Cook the lentils by bringing them to the boil and then simmering for 20 - 25 minutes in plenty of water. They should still have a bit of bite to them. Drain and rinse the lentils and place them in a bowl to cool.

2. Once cooled, mix in all of the remaining ingredients. Pay particular attention to seasoning the salad well.

3. Chill for at least an hour and then serve on small plates garnished with a little coarse sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper.


Note: This will serve two people as a starter.