Lentils

[Objective Foodie]

Here is our recipe for a lentil stew that we often make. The vegetarian version is as good as the original. As any stew, it improves with time in the fridge.

 

Lentils

Yields 6 servings

1 large onions
1 large carrots
2 medium tomatoes 
1 red pepper
500g of green lentils
1.5 litres of water (for better results: beef stock)
1.5 tbsp of Spanish paprika 
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp of salt
1 head of garlic chopped in half
Pepper

75g pancetta
50g of beef bone marrow (optional)
100g of smoked chorizo (Asturian)

 

Method
1. Rinse the vegetable, peel onions and carrots.
2. Cut 10% of veg, chop into 1cm thick pieces and set aside.
3. Sauté the 90% left (whole, without chopping) in a pressure cooker with some olive oil until some browning is achieved.
4. Put 1 tbsp of oil on a tray, add chopped vegetables, lardons and bone marrow. 
    - Roast at 220C with convection until some charring can be seen on the vegetables. 
    - Mix if needed while roasting
    - Half way through the cooking process, add chopped chorizo (1cm thick slices)
5. Add water and spices. 
6. Once it boils, add lentils.
7. Close the pressure cooker and cook under max pressure for 10min
8. Turn off hob. Let cool down and release the pressure
9. Remove boiled vegetables from the cooker, blend them and return resulting purée to the cooker
10. Add half of the roasted veg/pancetta into the mix
11. Mix and adjust salt.
12. Plate and use rest of roasted veg and pancetta to decorate as a topping.
 

Vegetarian version
Replace meat by:
* 1 tbsp of miso paste
* Double the amount of veg. 

Change method with:
* Roast all veg before cooking lentils. Then add 50% of them to the pot and cook with the lentils. Reserve the other half and chop into dices.
* Add in and mix the chopped veg once the lentils are cooked. 
* Correct seasoning at the end. It might need more since there is no cured meat.

Edited April 16, 2021 by Objective Foodie (log)

[haresfur]

I like to use red lentils as a thickener in stews or tagines. Add them to the pot and cook the heck out of them (they cook quickly).

[chromedome]

After reading the many mentions of lentil-based faux liverwurst on this thread, I made David Lebowitz' "faux gras" last night. My GF has been craving liverwurst but can't have it (no red meat because it makes her RA flare up), so this seemed like something that would be worth at least a test batch.

Turned out pretty good, and hit the spot for her quite nicely. My only quibble is the color, and I think I might add the tiniest bit of grated beet (or maybe even just a few drops of beet juice) to give it a hint of pink. I think uncooked beet would also give it a hint of that slightly metallic minerality you get with liver.

[Darienne]

1 hour ago, chromedome said:

After reading the many mentions of lentil-based faux liverwurst on this thread, I made David Lebowitz' "faux gras" last night. My GF has been craving liverwurst but can't have it (no red meat because it makes her RA flare up), so this seemed like something that would be worth at least a test batch.

Turned out pretty good, and hit the spot for her quite nicely. My only quibble is the color, and I think I might add the tiniest bit of grated beet (or maybe even just a few drops of beet juice) to give it a hint of pink. I think uncooked beet would also give it a hint of that slightly metallic minerality you get with liver.

A friend gave me a recipe for a similar dish and I eat it for breakfast  on toast with mustard.  We have decided to call it lentilwurst.  David Lebowitz' recipe sounds very nice...although a lot more work than the one I have been making.  

[heidih]

Stepmother came back from Costco with a bagged salad labeled Green Goddess chopped.https://www.taylorfarms.com/products/green-goddess-2-pack-chopped-salad-kit/ . She didn;t like it. One of the crispy add in packets was lentils. She gave me the second bag. I did noit use the lentils in the salad but enjoyed them as a crunchy munch. Has anyone made their own crispy ones and if so - method please. I looked online. These were not oily at all.