Tangy goat cheese and sweet beets are a famously good pairing; it is with good reason that so many French brasseries and bistros have a salad featuring the two on their menus. Lentils are another ingredient favored in France, and the combination of the three makes for one very satisfying salad. (Crispy bits of smoky bacon don’t hurt either.) I don’t recommend cheating with canned lentils. The texture and flavor of dried lentils cooked in a well-seasoned stock is far superior, and they cook up in no time.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　3 medium red or gold beets, trimmed and scrubbed

　　3 tablespoons canola oil

　　2 small carrots, 1 quartered and 1 finely diced

　　1 medium Spanish onion, quartered

　　1 small stalk celery, quartered

　　1 bay leaf

　　5 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 2 teaspoons finely chopped

　　1 quart chicken stock, homemade (page 240) or store-bought

　　1 1/4 cups dried French green lentils

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　1/4 pound slab bacon, diced

　　2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

　　2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

　　3 ounces chopped frisée or mixed greens

　　Sherry Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

　　4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices fresh goat cheese

　　

SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

　　1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

　　2 teaspoons honey

　　1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

　　(makes 3/4 cup)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

　　

Step 2

Put each beet on its own piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Wrap the beets tightly, place on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven until cooked through, about 1 hour. Remove the beets from the oven, let cool slightly, and then remove the skins. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

　　

Step 3

Place the quartered carrot, onion, and celery and the bay leaf, thyme sprigs, and chicken stock in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir in the lentils, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the lentils are tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well and discard the carrot, onion, celery, bay leaf, and thyme.

　　

Step 4

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the bacon, and cook until crisp and golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to a dish lined with paper towels. Add the garlic and diced carrot to the pan and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked lentils and bacon and stir to combine. Stir in the chopped thyme and sherry vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

　　

Step 5

Place the frisée in a large bowl, toss with half of the vinaigrette, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the roasted beets around the outside of 4 dinner plates and the frisée in the centers. Top the frisée with the warm lentils and place a slice of goat cheese on top of each. Drizzle the salads with the remaining vinaigrette.

　　

SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

Step 6

Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and honey in a small bowl. Season with the salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified. The dressing can be made 1 day in advance and stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using.

　　Reprinted with permission from Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook by Bobby Flay with Stephanie Banyas and Sally Jackson, (C) 2011 Clarkson PotterBOBBY FLAY, a New York Times bestselling author, is the chef-owner of six fine dining restaurants, including Mesa Grill, Bar Americain, and Bobby Flay Steak, and an expanding roster of Bobby's Burger Palaces. He is the host of numerous popular cooking shows on Food Network, from the Emmy-winning Boy Meets Grill and Grill It! with Bobby Flay, to the Iron Chef America series, Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, and Food Network Star. Brunch @ Bobby's debuted on the Cooking Channel in fall 2010 and America's Next Great Restaurant debuted in March 2011 on NBC. This is his eleventh book. His website is BobbyFlay.com.