"Luxe" Lentils
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| Wed, 02-06-2008 - 7:20pm |
The SF Chronicle had a great article today about "heirloom" lentils, complete with several, SB-friendly recipes and a glossary of lentil varieties. Thought some of you might enjoy these.
Lentil glossary
Because all dried lentils, beans and peas are called dal in India, the word doesn't necessarily refer to actual lentils, which are legumes.
Pink lentil, or skinned and split masoor dal. This vibrant lentil cooks to a creamy consistency.
Split and skinned white urad beans, or urad dal. Very low in fiber so they also cook up to smooth texture.
Channa dal.A type of skinned and split chickpea used in Indian cooking, channa dal have a high protein content and rich flavor.
Black beluga or baby beluga lentils. These tiny black lentils have a glossy appearance when cooked.
Common brown lentils have a khaki color. These are the lentils you'll see in supermarkets everywhere.
Umbrian lentils. These green-brown or dark brown lentils stay firm with cooking and have a nutty flavor.
Lentils du Puy. These speckled green lentils from France are similar to Umbrian lentils but are smaller and take less time to cook.
French Caviar Lentil, Arugula & Celery Root Salad
Serves 4-6
In this delicious winter salad from Gayle Pirie at Foreign Cinema in San Francisco, the lentils delicately coat the greens. The dish will make 4-5 cups lentils, enough for leftovers to use in the Warm Lentil Dinner Salad, below.
- The lentils:
- 1 1/2 cups French caviar, or du Puy, lentils
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small carrot, peeled
- 1 small piece celery stick
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (optional) + more for drizzling
- The salad:
- 1/2 cup pecan halves
- 1 small head celery root
- 1/2 pound loose arugula leaves, or three bundles of bunched arugula, cleaned and dried
- 3 ounces fromage blanc, crumbled
- The vinaigrette:
- 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey (skip or replace with Splenda)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- -- Pepper, to taste
For the lentils: Place the lentils in a small stainless steel pot and add 3 cups cold water. Add the bay leaf, carrot, celery, salt and olive oil, if using, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. When the mixture comes to a light boil, reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for approximately 30-35 minutes, stirring a few times to ensure even cooking. The lentils should be firm but not crunchy, and the interior should be smooth. Check the lentils as they cook to make sure they do not dry out - depending on the lentils you buy, they may cook differently and require a little extra water.
Once the lentils are cooked, place in a storage container and allow to cool. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and adjust the seasonings to taste.
For the salad: Preheat the oven to 400°. Scatter the pecan halves on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the nuts are fragrant but not too dark. Allow to cool.
Meanwhile, peel the celery root and rinse under cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel. Slice into 1/8-inch thick planks, then slice the planks into 1/8-inch wide matchsticks. If the sticks are long, they can be cut in half. Cut roughly 1/2 cup of sticks.
For the vinaigrette: Combine the vinegars, honey and salt in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil slowly, until the dressing is thick and emulsified. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
To assemble the salad: Drain the lentils of any excess moisture. Combine the arugula and celery root sticks in a large bowl. Toss slightly, add the vinaigrette and 3/4 cup of the cooked lentils, and toss again until thoroughly combined. Divide the salad equally among the serving plates, and garnish each portion with the toasted pecans and fromage blanc.
Per serving: 265 calories, 6 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate, 22 g fat (3 g saturated), 5 mg cholesterol, 244 mg sodium, 4 g fiber.
Castelluccio Lentils Braised in Red Wine
Serves 4-6
Chef Staffan Terje at Perbacco in San Francisco serves these lentils with boiled cotechino sausage, a fresh pork sausage that is available from Molinari and sometimes from A.G. Ferrari stores
- 1 1/2 cups Castelluccio or Umbrian lentils, or French du Puy lentils, washed and drained
- 2 cups red wine (Barbera or Dolcetto)
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock (or poaching liquid from cotechino sausage)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered + 1/2 cup small-diced onion
- 1 carrot, halved lengthwise + 1/2 cup small-diced carrot
- 1 rib of celery + 1/2 cup small-diced celery
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
Instructions: Place lentils, wine, stock, bay leaf and large pieces of onion, carrot and celery in a large pot with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Simmer, covered, until lentils are almost tender and not starchy, about 40-50 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, remove vegetables and bay leaf and discard.
Add diced vegetables to lentils and put back on the stove, adding more water if necessary to cover fully. Finish cooking until lentils and vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. Lentils should be moist and juicy, but not soupy.
Drain the lentils, reserving stock. Return the stock to the pan and simmer over medium-low heat until reduced to a saucy consistency, another 15-30 minutes. Add the sauce to the lentils.
Add olive oil and parsley and serve.
Per serving: 395 calories, 13 g protein, 32 g carbohydrate, 19 g fat (3 g saturated), 0 cholesterol, 923 mg sodium, 8 g fiber.
Warm Lentil Dinner Salad
Serves 4
The lentils can be marinated up to two days ahead in this main-dish salad from Tara Duggan. It's also good cold, but serving the lentils warm can be welcome in winter.
- 3 cups cooked and thoroughly drained lentils (see French Caviar Lentil, Arugula & Celery Root Salad recipe)
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons finely minced shallots
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- -- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
- -- Separated leaves from a head of butter lettuce or hearts of Romaine (1 handful leaves per serving)
- Optional add-ons:
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes or 1/4 cup diced roasted red peppers
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
Instructions: Warm the lentils gently if cold either in the microwave or over low heat in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, whisk together the garlic, shallots, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until you have an emulsified dressing. Adjust seasoning or the amount of oil or vinegar to make a tart, peppery vinaigrette.
Toss the warm lentils with all but 2 tablespoons of the dressing and the parsley, and adjust the seasoning. If using the cherry tomatoes or roasted peppers, add them to the lentils.
Place a handful of leaves on each plate, drizzle lightly with the remaining dressing, and top with a scoop of lentils. Sprinkle with the optional cheese and serve immediately.
Per serving: 310 calories, 14 g protein, 32 g carbohydrate, 15 g fat (2 g saturated), 0 cholesterol, 8 mg sodium, 14 g fiber.
Lentil & Vegetable Stew (Dhansaak)
Serves 12-14
This wonderful Indian dish comes from "American Masala," by Suvir Saran (Clarkson Potter, 2007). The recipe originates in the Parsi Zoroastrian community in Gujarat on India's West Coast. It takes some time to prepare, but you can make it ahead. It's actually at its best a couple days after cooking, when the spices have had a chance to come through.
- The spice blend:
- 1-inch piece cinnamon stick
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
- The herb paste:
- 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
- 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeno (cored and seeded if you prefer a milder flavor), roughly chopped
- 3 dried red chiles
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- The stew:
- 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons canola oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 red onions, finely diced + 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/4 pound chopped turnips
- 1/4 pound halved radishes
- 1 1/4 pounds chopped sweet potatoes or sugar pumpkin
- 2 1/2 cups mixed lentils, such as whole brown masoor dal, salmon-pink washed masoor dal, yellow split peas (channa dal)
For the spice blend: Grind all the ingredients in a coffee grinder or small food processor until powder-fine and set aside.
For the herb paste: Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Add 1/4 cup water and blend until smooth. Set aside.
For the stew: Place 1 cup of water next to your stovetop. Heat 1/4 cup oil and the cumin seeds in a large pot over medium-high heat until the cumin is toasted and browned, about 2 minutes. Add the finely diced onions and all of the salt and cook until the onions are deep brown, 12-15 minutes. Stir often and splash with water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot when the onions begin to stick. Add whatever water remains from the cup and cook until it evaporates, about 3 minutes.
Add the turnips, radishes and sweet potatoes and cook 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the lentils and 3 tablespoons of the spice blend and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add an additional 8 cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Add the herb paste and cook it for 2 minutes while stirring. Once the lentils have cooked 30 minutes, add the cooked herb paste and the chopped onion to the pot. Bring everything to a boil and add the remaining spice blend. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve.
Per serving: 200 calories, 9 g protein, 27 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat (1 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 781 mg sodium, 7 g fiber.



Ooh la la!
Interesting reading and great recipes!