NEW YORK, Apr 9 — The king of haute seafood, Chef Eric Ripert of the triple Michelin-starred restaurant Le Bernardin in New York has shared a simple dinner idea that makes salmon the star of the show.

It’s a classic French family dinner: pan-roasted salmon sitting on a bed of lentils.

The secret to pimping out plain old lentils? Sautéed lardons (diced or cut-up bacon).

If you don’t have access to fresh salmon, the lentils can serve as a standalone meal, Ripert suggests.

"You can cook the lentils and eat them on their own or w[ith] another fish, meat etc.,” he wrote.

Take out the bacon and the lentil recipe becomes vegetarian.

Recipe: