French Market Recipe 2024 45
Lentilles de Puy salade
Ingredients for 4 servings:
- 200g Le Puy green lentils from the French Market shop
- 100g Parmigiano Reggiano 18 months matured from the French Market shop
- 4 Eggs
- 2 onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- Sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 or 3 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon of Herbes de Provence from the French Market
- 25g butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence wine vinegar from the French Market shop
- 1 stock cube or 1 tablespoon dried stock veal, chicken, or vegetable
- A sprinkle of Fleur du sel de Guerande and ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
- Peel and chop the onions and garlic cloves coarsely.
- Wash the Puy green lentils and fresh herbs in water and drain.
- Pour about 800ml of cold water into a large, heavy based saucepan add the lentils, onions, garlic, herbs, thyme, bay leaves and bring to the boil.
- Add the stock cube/ stock powder and knob of butter, stir in, cover, and reduce heat to simmer gently.
- Cook for about 25 minutes
- Grate the cheese in thin slices.
- Remove the saucepan lid when lentils are cooked, if there is still a lot of liquid raise the temperature a bit and stir while liquid evaporates. There should be a little moisture left.
- Put the lentils in a serving dish, drizzle over them 1 tablespoonful of olive oil and 1 of vinegar, keep warm.
- 10 minutes before serving, put the eggs in a saucepan of cold water and bring to boil for 6 minutes exactly.
- Remove eggs from water, remove shells, holding the egg with a cloth as they are hot.
- Spoon the lentils onto individual plates
- Cut each egg in half lengthways and place cut side up on top of the lentils, sprinkle with a pinch of herbes de Provence and the grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Serve warm and pair (this is challenging) try with a glass Pinot Noir Valmoissine from the Vars or Gewurztraminer available at the French Market shop in Cape Town.