I was not excited to see lentils on Dorie's menu this week, especially when paired with salmon. I've never been a big fan of lentils and I didn't have much faith that they would be good with salmon. One big plus is that my market carries lentilles de Puy (French green lentils) and I was curious to experience the differences to the regular brown ones I've made before.
A few research notes: Lentils from Puy, lentilles de Puy, are the only lentil with a designated place of origin, and one of the few things beyond cheese, mustard, and wine to receive France's AOC geographic indication. They are grown in the Auvergne and their nutty, somewhat more peppery flavor comes from the area's volcanic soil, low humidity, fertilizer-free growth, and lots of sunshine. Lentils from Puy are firm because of their high protein and low starch contents so they have a slightly different texture and they retain more of their shape when they cook. I think I've found a new favorite lentil ... as far as lentils go. Green lentils are grown in other parts of the world, but only the ones grown in Puy are truly lentilles de Puy. To be assured you are buying lentilles de Puy, look for the AOC seal on the packaging.
Dorie's recipe called for the same aromatics as most (carrots, celery, onion, bay leaf), but I think the clincher was the clove that she says to push into the onion. It added a subtle undertone that unless you knew it had been there, you wouldn't have been able to identify it. She instructs to leave the vegetables in large chunks and pick them out at the end to puree before serving, but next time I make this, I'll chop the carrot and celery small before cooking and only leave the onion whole to chop later.
Were the lentils de Puy really green? Well, they looked dark when they were still uncooked, but were more light green after the first steaming. Very pretty.
As for pairing them with roasted salmon, I had my doubts as well, but I should've learned after making so many Dorie recipes not to doubt her. It was a magical pairing ... just perfect, drizzled with a bit of olive oil and garnished with fresh chopped chives.
For a typical dinner, I would most likely have served a green salad as well, but we had this meal about 4:30 in the afternoon. I wasn't sure if it was a super late lunch or an early dinner, but it was needed nourishment before we went off to see "Mr. Warmth", also known as Don Rickles! Ken was given tickets and he chose to share them with me ... It was a once in a lifetime event and one we won't soon forget.
- I knew Aly would struggle with this dish because she very much dislikes lentils. She did taste them and loved the salmon, of course. Ken LOVES lentils and he fully enjoyed this meal.
- Lentils come brown, green, and pink ... have you ever had pink ones? They are, at least, really pretty.
- Here's another recipe for lentils and rice that you might enjoy. We like to use it as a vegetarian option for "burrito" filling, with all the typical garnishes of lettuce, salsa, sour cream, cheese.
If you're new around here or are wondering what French Fridays with Dorie is ... It's an effort to use one of Dorie's recipes from her cookbook Around My French Table each week. The recipes are decided on by popular vote on the website French Fridays with Dorie. Purchase your book HERE and play along! According to the rules of the group, I'm not allowed to post the actual recipe ... mes regrets.)
