Prague Ham with Warm Lentil Salad
·Cook the lentils
Soak the lentils in water the day before (or at least a few hours ahead) – they'll cook much faster the next day. If you'd rather skip the soaking and waiting, you can buy pre-cooked lentils instead, which need no soaking and only a brief simmer.
Sauté the onion
While the lentils are cooking, heat some oil in a larger pot and sauté the roughly chopped onion until nicely golden.
Add the tomatoes
Add the tomatoes to the onion. Halve cherry tomatoes, or cut larger tomatoes into chunks. Stir together and let everything heat through for about five minutes.
Season and add the lentils
Season with garlic and, if you like, your favorite herbs. Now tip the drained, cooked lentils into this wonderfully fragrant base. Season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
Serving
Serve immediately, together with the seared pieces of smoked ham.
Tip for leftovers
Have some lentil salad left over? The next day, you can stir in chopped smoked meat, a bit of mayonnaise, and a hard-boiled egg. Served cold, this version is delicious too.