Puy lentil and tomato salad with jammy onions and crispy feta

Method

1. Begin by marinating the tomatoes. Cut the vine tomatoes into wedges and halve the cherry tomatoes, then put them in a bowl with the herbs and sprinkle with salt flakes (if you have a posh finishing salt such as fleur de sel, use that). Add freshly ground pepper, the olive oil and a dash of vinegar, then mix. Leave at room temperature.
2. Finely zest the lemon and set aside. Finely slice the red onions and put a handful in a bowl. Juice the zested lemon, then pour it over the onions with a pinch of salt and leave to quick-pickle.
3. Heat a dash of oil in a pan and gently fry the remaining sliced onions for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar, sugar and 80ml water, then cook, covered, for 5 minutes Remove the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the liquid has reduced down and you’re left with nice jammy onions. Spread out on a plate and put in the fridge to cool.
4. Crack the egg into a small wide bowl and beat with the milk and a large pinch of salt. Put the flour and panko breadcrumbs in separate bowls and stir two thirds of the lemon zest into the breadcrumbs. Pat the feta dry, then slice into 4 bars. Coat one by one in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Heat a small frying pan with 1cm oil, then fry the feta until the crumbs are golden brown all over, turning once. Drain on kitchen paper and season with a little salt and some pepper.
5. In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes and their juices with the lentils, then stir in the cooled jammy onions. Divide among plates, then top with the crispy feta and some pink pickled onions. Finish with the remaining lemon zest.