Richly Braised Lentils

Deeply flavoured slow braised puy lentils that can eaten on their own or added to other dishes.

These slow braised lentils were a real revelation. 

I usually use lentils to bulk out a dish, like a shepherd's pie or for a creamy finish in a tasty dal or a warming lentil soup when I use red lentils. This dish was so different. The lentils were the main dish. The star of the show.

Excuse my language but they were bloody delicious!

I served them with mash and peas, because with a rich, tasty gravy like that you need either mash or crusty bread to mop it up.

I urge you to print of this recipe, save it on Pinterest and share it with all your friends. It's that good!

 pin it for later

Alex Mackay

This recipe comes from Everybody Everyday by Alex Mackay.

I'd not heard of Alex Mackay before this cookbook landed on my doorstep.

Alex worked in kitchens when he left school at 16, but his career in food really started 15 years ago when Raymond Blanc asked him to run his cookery school, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons.

He is regularly on TV and spent a decade cooking at Norwich City Football Club with Delia Smith and will take over after her retirement this year.

This is his second cookbook. His first cookbook was called Cooking in Provence.

A New Cookbook Concept

With this cookbook he brings us something different. The concept for this book is knowing a few ingredients really well, making a dish with them and then adapting this into different recipes. There are six basic ingredients, six sauces and six slow-cooked meals and then all the variations of each.

126 recipes in total.

The recipe I decided to make was one of the basic ingredients, braised lentils. I doubled up the recipe and served my braised lentils with mashed potatoes and peas for a really comforting meal, but I could have used the lentils in the 6 following recipes:

1. Stuffed Mushrooms in Puff Pastry, Creamy Porcini & Lentils
2. Lentil Chilli with Roast Squash & Sweet & Sour Marmalade
3. Lentil Moussaka
4. Mackay's Lentil Pie
5. Pasta & Vegetables with Lentil Bolognaise
6. Lentil Fritters with Roast Beetroot & Hot Camembert Cream

Alex has included a slideshow on his website showing each of these dishes and giving tips for cooking them with children, which I think is a nice touch.

I'm excited to try the Stuffed Mushrooms in Puff Pastry, Creamy Porcini & Lentils.

What an exciting meal that will be. I loved the braised lentils, but pairing them with the mushrooms in puff pastry, oh my!

I really do like the concept for this book. It is such a sensible idea, to have a few great recipes under your belt and then add them to other dishes, to make whole new dishes.

A great idea for new cooks and a great reminder to the rest of us to do more with our favourite recipes.

Everybody Everyday  by Alex Mackay

Vegetarian Recipe Count 28 out of 126 recipes  
Vegan Recipe Count 13 out of 126 recipes (leaving out the suggested addition of yoghurt or cheese)

Format: Hardback

Pages:  352

Publisher:  Bloomsbury Publishing

ISBN:  978-1408810934

Published:  10 May 2012

Size:  18.9 x 2.8 x 24.6 cm

lentils, braised lentils, slow cooked lentils, oven cooked lentils, lentil stew, french lentils, french lentil stew, lentil casserole, puy lentils, vegan stew, vegan casserole

dinner

British, vegan

Yield: 4

Author: Jacqueline Meldrum with kind permission

Richly Braised Lentils

Slow braised lentils, cooked with tomatoes, wine and bay leaves for the most luxurious, rich gravy that explodes with flavour.

prep time: 10 Mcook time: 1 H & 40 Mtotal time: 1 H & 50 M

ingredients:

• 2 medium onions, peeled and cut into 5mm dice
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 700ml plus 2 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp tomato puree
• 375ml gutsy red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
• 250g puy or French lentils
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• a good grinding of salt and pepper
• a generous pinch of sugar

instructions:

How to cook Richly Braised Lentils

1. Preheat your oven to 170c/150c fan/325f/gas mark 3.
2. In a large ovenproof pan, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil and 2 tbsp of water. Cook on medium with the lid on for 7-10 minutes until the onions are soft. Add a little more water if it starts to dry out.
3. Add the tomato puree and turn the heat up to high.  Cook the mixture, stirring it constantly, for 2 minutes until the tomato puree is lightly browned. When it smells like sun-dried tomatoes, it's ready.
4. Add the red wine and lentils. Bring to the boil and cook gently until the wine has reduced by half. 
5. Add the tinned tomatoes, the bay leaves and the 700ml of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Cover the pan and put it in the oven and braise the lentils for 30 minutes. Take off the lid and cook for another 30 minutes until the lentils are tender but still holding their shape. Stir it a couple of times during cooking.
7. When the lentils are cooked, the liquid should be thick and just at the level of the lentils, if not cook for a little longer.
8. Season to taste with salt, sugar and pepper. 
9. Cover the pan and leave to sit for another 10 minutes to let the lentils to soak up the seasonings.
10. Enjoy!

NOTES:

Make sure you use a large ovenproof dish for this with a lid.

Calories
288.00

Fat (grams)
7.32

Sat. Fat (grams)
1.01

Carbs (grams)
26.36

Fiber (grams)
7.09

Net carbs
19.27

Sugar (grams)
7.20

Protein (grams)
7.55

Sodium (milligrams)
89.25

Cholesterol (grams)
0.00

Created using The Recipes Generator

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