Beluga lentil salad with roasted quails

A good way to keep the legumes on our menus during the holidays is to incorporate them into original dishes that are not too heavy. A good example is this beluga lentil salad with roasted quail, a low-fat bird that is very eye-catching and served in individual portions.

Beluga whales are so called because they are a very small, round lentil with a very nice glossy black colour. It is necessary to cook them without soaking them al dente, so that they maintain their texture, very pleasant in a salad like this one, that we can serve tempered. Mandarin provides a very appropriate citrus touch for Christmas which also combines very well with the light taste of quail.

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Approximate ingredients for 2 people:

2 clean quails, thyme, white wine, 100 g beluga lentils, 2 cloves garlic, 1 bay leaf, 1 mandarin, 2 branch tomatoes, fresh chives, ground cumin, black pepper, salt, rice or apple vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.

How to make beluga lentil salad with roasted quails

Preheat the oven to 220ºC and prepare a suitable dish or container, covering it with aluminium foil if you want to stain less. Tie the legs of the quails with kitchen cord, salt and pepper inside and out and introduce a clove of garlic and a sprig of thyme in each bird. Paint lightly with olive oil and bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with white wine, lower the oven to 200ºC and bake for a further 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the lentils with a little salt, a dash of vinegar and bay leaves in plenty of water, leaving them al dente following the directions on the package. Drain very well and rinse gently. Remove the bay leaf and place in a bowl or deep dish.

Peel the mandarin, remove the segments and remove the skin. Chop or chop. Wash the tomatoes, remove the seeds and chop. Add to the lentils, add one or two spoonfuls of chopped chives and salt and pepper. Season with ground cumin and season to taste with vinegar and oil. Mix well.