Basic French Lentils

Name: Basic French Lentils
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 cup lentils, du puy; 1 clove; 1 small onion, peeled; 1 medium carrot, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 4 to 6 pieces; 1 celery rib, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 4 to 6 pieces; 1 garlic clove, smashed, peeled, and germ removed; 1 bay leaf; 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth or 3 1/2 cups water; 1 tablespoon cognac (optional); 1 shallot, finely chopped, rinsed, and patted dry (optional); freshly ground pepper

Submitted by DrGaellon

"A humble peasant dish, this will be best made with real French _lentilles du Puy_. Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's _Around My French Table_ as published by Caroline Russock at Serious Eats. http://bit.ly/d4IBaV"

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photo by boulangertruckee

Ready In:: 1hr
Ingredients:: 11
Serves:: 4

ingredients

1 cup lentils, du puy
1 clove
1 small onion, peeled
1 medium carrot, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 4 to 6 pieces
1 celery rib, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 4 to 6 pieces
1 garlic clove, smashed, peeled, and germ removed
1 bay leaf
3 ¹⁄₂ 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth or 3 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon cognac (optional)
1 shallot, finely chopped, rinsed, and patted dry (optional)
freshly ground pepper

directions

Pick over the lentils, removing any stones. Rinse under cold water and drain well.
Put lentils in a saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Pour into strainer and rinse with cold water. Rinse saucepan as well and return lentils to pan.
Push the clove into the onion and place onion in saucepan. Add carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaf and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 25-30 minutes until almost tender. Skim off any solids that rise up while cooking. Season with salt and pepper and cook an additional 5-10 minutes until fully tender. Add Cognac, if using.
Drain the lentils (save the cooking liquid if you're planning to reheat them later). Discard the garlic, bay leaf and clove. Dice the vegetables and stir back into the lentils along with the shallot, if using.
Serve hot or at room temperature. Store lentils and cooking liquid separately in airtight containers in refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat lentils in cooking liquid in a covered saucepan over low heat.

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Reviews

This is perfect! A delicious veg meal that is inexpensive and and easy to prepare. Very filling too! Use the real French lentils, it is worth it. Also, don't leave out the clove, it really enhances the flavor. Thank you for posting!

yvettemryan

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

DrGaellon

New Rochelle, 0

I'm a 48 y/o gay Jewish man in the suburbs immediately north of New York City. I'm a general internist, practicing and teaching at a medical college north of NYC. I also earned a Masters in Public Health degree in 2013. After a Walt Disney World trip in Dec 2006 where I had to rent an electric scooter because I couldn't manage the walking, I decided to have gastric bypass surgery, which was done Feb 28, 2007. I lost 160 lbs (though I've gained back about 60 of that since). I can't eat as much as I used to, so I want every bite to be extra good!

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