Black Beluga Lentil Salad with Bacon, Blue Cheese and Cilantro Vinaigrette

When I had my restaurant in Barcelona, vacation was something that I had to do quickly and closely.  For me, the best place to make me relax and feel transported without travelling too far was Ibiza.  Ibiza is only 30 minutes by plane from Barcelona, but it is worlds apart.  It is what you make it, you can party all night and day, or you can relax with your family.  I chose the latter, obviously.  But one place I really loved and still do, is Jockey Club.  It is a beach bar restaurant, and my favorite thing to do is get there early, grab some beach chairs and spend all day lounging by the crystal clear waters, and listening to some fabulous music.  The food is pretty amazing, but I would always order their lentil salad with a bottle of Enate Rosado, a spanish Rosé wine.  I don’t get to go to Ibiza as often as I wish now, but I do try to recreate their lentil salad at home.  I change it often, but never their 3 key ingredients: black beluga lentils, bacon and cheese.  They use goat cheese, but you can substitute any soft cheese you have at home.  This salad is very quick and easy to make, but it is incredibly decadent, so if you serve it as an appetizer at a dinner party you can´t go wrong!  I personally love it, and tonight I used the veggies I had in my fridge.  You can substitute what you like, but this version is absolutely fantastic, I really really recommend you try it!  Also, you can omit the bacon and chicken stock if you are vegetarian, and it will still taste delicious.

Serves 4

1/2 cup black beluga lentils (or puy lentils if you can’t find these)

1 garlic clove, with skin

1 bay leaf

2 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small eggplant, cut in 1 inch cubes

1/2 small yellow pepper, cut into 1 inch dice

1/2 small green tomato, diced

1/4 cup bacon, sliced

2 tbsp blue cheese, crumbled

For the cilantro vinaigrette:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp white wine vinegar

1 small bunch cilantro, minced

1 garlic clove, smashed and minced

1 tsp whole grain Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

6-7 leaves of Romaine lettuce or Frisee lettuce, washed and chopped

In a medium stock pot, place the chicken stock, bay leaf and garlic to boil.  When boiling, add the lentils and cook for 15 minutes.  Strain and set aside to cool.

In a large sauté pan, over high heat, add the olive oil.  Fry the bacon and eggplant until golden, about 7-10 minutes, stirring constantly.  Strain over paper towels.

Mix all the ingredients for the vinaigrette, shake well.

In a large bowl, place the lentils, bacon, eggplant, yellow pepper, tomato and blue cheese.  Add about 2 tbsp of the vinaigrette, mix well.

To serve, place the lettuce in a salad bowl, then top with the lentils.  Drizzle half a tbsp over the lettuce, enjoy!

From my kitchen to yours,

Carla