The Popular Legume Bobby Flay Hates So Much He Even Refuses To Serve It

One of the most common myths about professional chefs is that they like to eat everything. Sure, you'd expect those who dedicate their lives to food enjoy trying new things, but everyone has their preferences, and we all have a list of things we just don't like the taste of. Some cooks can't stand seafood, others hate certain spices — there are even chefs (like Anthony Bourdain) who don't care for dessert. As for Bobby Flay, his pet peeve lies in the world of legumes, namely, lentils.

The award-winning chef and TV star previously spoke to The New York Times about the topic, saying, "Whenever I tell somebody I hate lentils, they're shocked. There are a lot of lentil fans out there." If he has a say on the matter, Flay won't even allow lentils on the menus at his restaurants. In fact, he actually rejected a dish that was proposed for his now-shuttered Bar Americain because it had some lentils in it.

He is able to laugh about the matter, and he mentioned to the Times that his staff will try to run specials with lentils while he's away on vacation. But you'd be hard-pressed to find Flay with a bowl of them himself. Instead, he usually stocks his pantry with bases like arborio rice, polenta, and different kinds of pastas.

Funnily enough, Flay ended up sharing a recipe similar to the one he rejected for Bar Americain with the Food Network. It's for a warm lentil salad with roasted beets and sliced goat's cheese, and a reviewer said his method for cooking lentils led to a "savory and tender" result. Flay also experimented with the legume for a veal chop recipe on one of his TV shows, cooking the lentils in a similar way — with bacon and aromatics. His trick is to simmer the lentils in a flavorful chicken stock and mix them with bacon and seasonings, like thyme and garlic, for more oomph. 

There are plenty of other ways to jazz up lentils, too. There are so many interesting soups, curries, stews, and salads you can make, and lentils can be used to replace ground meat for a plant-based take on dishes like bolognese, shepherd's pie, and tacos. You can utilize lentils to make vegetarian BBQ meatballs, a classic Italian pasta e lenticchie, cheesy baked ziti, or falafel pita sandwiches. Maybe Flay just hasn't tried enough varieties, but there are plenty of fun lentil recipes out there that could maybe make him change his mind.