Recipe: Lentils

Name: Lentils
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 500 g (17.75 oz) lentils (French green lentils or Planèze blond lentils); 1 onion, peeled and studded with 3 cloves; 1 carrot, peeled and diced (mirepoix); fine salt

By chef patrick Asfaux 5/5 (2 reviews)

Prep 15 min

Cook 35 min

Rest 1h

Total 1h50

Servings 6 serv.

In our culinary vocabulary, we call garnishes based on this ancient legume "Esau style," named after the biblical character who sold his birthright to his brother Jacob in exchange for a dish of lentils.

Recette Lentils - Chef Patrick Asfaux — Photo: © Asfaux Patrick - A.F.Touch

Ingredients for 6 servings

Adjust for

servings

500 g (17.75 oz) lentils (French green lentils or Planèze blond lentils)
1 onion, peeled and studded with 3 cloves
1 carrot, peeled and diced (mirepoix)
fine salt

Step-by-step directions

1 Soak your lentils in cold water for 1 hour (optional).

2 In a large pot, add your lentils and cover generously with cold water. Add the studded onion and diced carrots. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat for a gentle simmer of about 20 minutes.

3 Using a skimmer or small ladle, remove any impurities that rise to the surface as they cook.

4 After 15 minutes of cooking, salt your lentils (salting them earlier would toughen them). Test for doneness: they should be tender enough to crush between your fingers.

Chef Patrick's Comment

This basic recipe is a perfect starting point for an excellent side dish that can be transformed into a soup or cream when puréed, served in salads under warm seared foie gras, or paired with the classic "petit salé" (salt pork). It also works beautifully with sausage blanched and roasted with lard, or as a side for pan-fried fish meunière style (pike-perch fillet, salmon).

There are now new products on the market that can season your lentils without needing to add carrots or onions: natural glazes based on caramelized onion or tomato stock, for example, as well as infuser sachets from houses like Ariake, such as beef or poultry bouillon.