Recipe # 5: Classic French Lentils

Nothing is more comforting and filling than a hearty portion of these lentils over quinoa, with just enough broth at the bottom and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top.  If you give this recipe time, it will become your own - adding herbs and increasing spices.  If you don’t have everything in your fridge, don’t worry.  The flavor comes from slowing forming the mirepoix* and carefully selected herbs & spices.  In no time, you will figure out what like and what you don’t really care for - which is what should happen after all!  I While I try to keep my sodium intake low, every now and then I put a sprinkle of coarse sea salt on top for that extra, albeit somewhat guilty, punch of flavor!

Because this dish requires a lot of prep, I would recommend dicing and slicing all your vegetables before you begin.  Eventually, when your timing for the dish improves, you can prep and cook at the same time without burning the mirepoix.  While the time requirement may seem daunting at first, you will soon find yourself multitasking during the process if you are alone.  Better still, invite a friend over to help while you chat over a bottle of red wine - the perfect accompaniment to this dish.


Classic French Lentils

2 medium onions
8 cloves garlic
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. sunflower oil
1 lb. baby carrots
1-2 celery heart, rinsed and trimmed
1 package mushrooms*
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1½  tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp dried marjoram
½ tsp dried thyme
8 cups water
2 cups French lentils

Vegetable prep:

• Dice the onion and smash-chop* the garlic
• Slice the carrots in half and dice them into ½ inch pieces, set aside.   Depending on the size of your carrots, you’ll get 2-4 cuts per half.  Try slicing 3-4 baby carrots in half, and then dice them.  This should make the process go faster.
• Trim the celery hearts of the (dried) top and (dirty) bottom and rinse the stalks to ensure you remove all the dirt.  Slice the stalks, lengthwise, into halves or thirds (depending on the width)  and dice into ½ inch pieces.  Like the carrots, you can dice a few stalks at the same time, which should help ease chopping fatigue
• Quickly rinse and wipe the mushrooms with a paper towel to get all the dirt off (mushrooms are porous and absorb water easily, hence the paper towel wiping).  Trim the stumps off, leaving just the caps; slice as thinly as you can manage.  The thinner the mushroom, the more flavor it will be able to absorb.
• Measure the lentils directly into a large colander and rinse thoroughly, using your hands to get any stray dirt off.  There may be twigs and seeds in your lentils, especially if you purchased them in bulk, which is normal.  Spread the lentils out on a cookie tray to make sure all foreign objects are removed.  Place into a bowl and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large stock pot (whatever you boil pasta in), over medium-high heat, and add the onions and garlic.  Stir occasionally to keep the garlic from browning too quickly.  You want the onions to begin to brown before proceeding (you may notice the bottom of the pan becoming “sticky“ from the onions starting to caramelize), about 7-9 minutes.  Add the carrots and keep stirring (the introduction of a water-heavy vegetable will help stop the cooking for a while and get the browned bits up from the pan).  When the carrots begin to brown, after 6-9 minutes, add the celery and keep stirring.  When the celery has reduced by half (you’ll notice a difference in the pot, as the vegetables cook and water evaporates), after 9-12 minutes, add the mushroom slices.  Stir vigorously to help separate the slices, and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add the crushed red pepper, tarragon, marjoram and thyme, cooking for 2 minutes to help release the oils in the herbs.  Add the 8 cups of water, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to release the caramelized bits into the broth, and cover.  Bring the broth to a boil and cook for 5 minutes; add the lentils and cover.  Once the whole pot boils again, reduce to a simmer and set the lid slightly askew to help the water cook out.  It may take anywhere from 30-50 minutes for your lentils to reduce properly, depending on the age of the lentils and the heat of your stove.  I prefer a fairly thick dish, but you may prefer to have some extra broth to mingle with your grains.  Whatever your preference, serve these over a bed of grains and enjoy your hard work!

*Mirepoix is a classic French starter for most dishes, where you cook aromatics in an open pan to let flavors mingle.  Other varieties exist, but I prefer the classic French version - onions, carrots and celery heart - with garlic.

*I prefer cremini mushrooms, although they aren’t always available in their organic form.  For this reason, I often use baby portabellas instead.  You may also use white mushrooms, although their lack of flavor and texture don’t really add much to the dish.

*Smash-chop: after you have peeled the cloves, trim the root end off.  Smash the clove with the side of your knife by pressing firmly until the clove breaks into pieces; chop the smashed cloves into a dice similar in size to the onions being used.