⅛cupred oniondiced ¼ inch and mixed with 2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar
2 teaspoonsred wine vinegarplus more to taste if needed (I use the Beaufort brand)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Fresh cut chivesto garnish
A few slices of heirloom tomatoto garnish
Small hand torn croutonsto garnish (optional)
A few small pickled hedgehog mushroomswarmed, to garnish (see my recipe for hedgehog conserve here)
extra virgin olive oila tablespoon or so to garnish (optional)
Instructions
Cook the lentils in lightly salted vegetable broth until just tender. Meanwhile, render the bacon until crisp. If it looks like there is a lot of fat in the pan, drain some off until only a tablespoon or two remain. (my homemade bacon I use is more lean generally than commercial bacon)
Add the chicken hearts and lentils to the pan and warm through, then add the red wine vinegar and stir to combine. Taste the mixture, it should be nicely balanced, with just a touch of acid. Add the escarole and treviso to the pan and cover, reducing the heat to low, and cook until just wilted.
Stir the mixture, taste for seasoning and adjust as needed, then divide equally between four gently warmed plates. garnish each plate with a few hunks of heirloom tomato a sprinkle of the diced red onion, chives, croutons, olive oil, warm hedgehog mushrooms and serve immediately.
Notes
Since I wrote this up I've made the salad at least four different ways. currently it's on the menu with pieces of pulled chicken tossed in, and topped with a dollop of creme fraiche, the croutons and minced pickled onion have since been removed. Tomorrow it will be different still as I'm running out of escarole. You'll need chicken confit heart confit or gizzards to make this, see my recipe here.