Virginia, author of Sweet&Sour , brings us a delicious update of traditional lentils in a cocotte . This spoon-fed recipe is ideal for the cold months; it is full of energy, but also with the most gourmet touch, because lentils accompanied by mushrooms and foie are a real treat for the palate. Enjoy!
The cold weather is here and brings with it the spoonful of food. Sometimes it seems that spoonfuls mean giving up quality dishes in favour of more humble and traditional dishes. But nothing could be further from the truth! Here's a sample: these green lentils with trumpet mushrooms and foie that I'm leaving you with today are pure luxury.
I have used green lentils from Puy, but you can use brown lentils , which are also very tasty. In this case, I have opted for green lentils from Puy, which the French call vegetable caviar, because they have a mild and slightly sweet flavour, which goes perfectly with the flavour of the mushroom we use. It is also a quick-cooking lentil, which also helps to preserve the flavour and texture of the mushroom, since although mushrooms must be cooked well to avoid being indigestible, they should not be overcooked to avoid damaging their flavour and texture.
White "le Creuset" cocotte , white utensil jar with T&G handles, Guérande truffled salt jar , bowls from the Fleur de Ligne collection and Pols Ceramic handmade white plate
The mushrooms we used are Death Trumpets, a mushroom that can be found fresh from late summer to well into autumn, but dried all year round. It is an aromatic mushroom with an intense flavour, reminiscent of black truffles, which is why it has come to be called the "Poor Man's Truffle".
This lentil stew also goes very well with some good boletus edulis, although in the absence of both, any mushroom would be delicious. However, don't forget to accompany the stew with the grilled fresh foie , which will give it a flavour and smoothness that will round out the flavour of the mushrooms and these green lentils.
Let's go with the recipe!
INGREDIENTS
(For 4 servings)
- 300g of green Puy lentils or brown lentils
- 1 onion, chopped into brunoise
- 250g of black trumpets (or boletus edulis if necessary)
- 1 leek
- Vegetable broth or water
- 2 carrots cut into squares
- 1 small zucchini cut into squares
- Virgin olive oil
- Guérande truffled salt (gray white truffle salt )
- 3 thick pieces of foie
PREPARATION
- We put the "le Creuset" cocotte on the heat with a dash of virgin olive oil and caramelize the onion chopped into brunoise a little.
- Add the clean and dry black trumpets and sauté them with the onion for about 4-5 minutes over medium heat.
- Add water or vegetable broth to taste and then add the lentils and whole leek. Cook over medium heat, with the cocotte half covered with its lid, for about 40 minutes.
- When there are about 5 minutes left, add the truffle salt (to taste, although I wouldn't add much more than a pinch because the Guérande truffle salt is really intense in its truffle flavour), the carrots and the courgette cut into small squares, and let it cook for another 5-7 minutes. The vegetables will be cooked with the heat of those 5 minutes, because we will leave them cooked but with their bright colour and a little crunchy, so that the sense of sight also comes into play.
- When ready to serve, remove the leek and turn the foie pieces over and over in a very hot non-stick frying pan .
- We serve the lentils with the black trumpets and topped with foie. We sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.
A dish full of flavour, for those cold days when you don't want to give up serving a luxury dish on the table.
Bowls from the Fleur de Ligne porcelain collection
Tips
- Green lentils do not need to be soaked, but if you use a lentil that does, remember to soak them in water beforehand, well before starting the recipe.
- These stews are better from one day to the next, so I recommend cooking the lentils and the next day when serving, just grill the foie.
- If you want the broth to be thicker , blend a ladle of lentils with a little broth and you will see how it thickens.
Enjoy.
Virginia
