Lentilles du Puy are not your ordinary run-of-the-mill green lentils even by French standards. This particular variety grows in the rich volcanic soil of the Haute-Loire which give them a nutty flavor with a hit of minerality.
Recipes for preparing these little gems are numerous both in print as well as in cyberspace. Having read many of them, one note from the magazine Cooks Illustrated reminded me that when cooking legumes, salt should not be added until the end as it inhibits their cooking and they remain too firm.
However with lentils, they are very tender and can easily become mushy. Therefore, salt should be added at the beginning of the cooking process to prevent the “mushiness” factor. Taking their suggestion and adding salt at the beginning, the lentils cooked beautifully keeping their shape and becoming ever so tender.
The majority of recipes also call for sautéing the vegetables in a large saucepan, adding the lentils and cooking everything in copious amounts of water. When the lentils are tender to the tooth, drain off the water and rinse. “What, I asked myself, ”1) why would one cook vegetables for 35-40 minutes and 2) pour off all that flavor?”
I can understand using water if that’s the only liquid available. However, I was using homemade duck stock and what wasn’t absorbed by the legumes, I didn’t want to pour down the drain.
I knew what I wasn’t going to do, but I didn’t have a Plan B when I started cooking these delightful gems. I did, however, know that I had to come up with something that didn’t involve the drain.
After about 20 minutes at a gentle simmer, the liquid was evaporating and they were cooking nicely. I tasted a few to determine how they were coming along. They weren’t quite there yet so I added another cup of stock. The trick, I realized was very much like cooking risotto, keep enough liquid to allow the lentils to cook, but not to have too much liquid left at the end.
When the lentils were almost tender and there was barely enough liquid, I covered the cooking vessel with a lid. This allowed them to continue cooking without adding any more liquid. When they are just tender, I removed the lid and allowed the remaining liquid to cook off. Using a lid was the key and to taste, taste, taste!
The French are all about the “bouquet garni”, so before I started cooking I gathered a few herbs and tied them inside a couple of leek leaves.
Also, I implore you to use the best sherry vinegar, mustard, and olive oil your pocketbook will allow. Quality ingredients do make a difference in the end, especially when adding to a simple dish like lentils or for vinaigrette.
I served the lentils alongside a link of lamb sausage and a frisée salad with hazelnut vinaigrette. You could also serve them with duck confit or pâté and by all means enjoy a crusty baguette.
Bouquet garni (a couple of the large green leek leaves, rosemary sprig, 4 thyme sprigs, 4 parsley sprigs, 3 bay leaves), tied with cotton twine
10 ounces thick cut (1/4-inch if possible) bacon or lardon
1 medium leek
2 ½ cups (500 grams) Lentilles du Puy
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 – 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
4 or more cups duck or chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 – 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
Remove the outer leaves of the leek where it turns from white to green, reserving two large ones.
Lay the rosemary, thyme and parsley sprigs, and bay leaves in a leek leaf. Top with another leek leaf and tie in a bundle with cotton twine.
Cut the bacon in ¼-inch strips across the grain. Set aside.
With the remaining leek, remove the root and cut in half length-wise and then into ¼-inch slices. Add leeks to a bowl and cover with cold water. Swish the leeks around to rinse, allowing any sand to fall to the bottom of the bowl. Then, carefully lift out the leeks to drain in a sieve, leaving the sand and water behind.
In another bowl rinse the lentils, looking for and discarding any pebbles or other objects that shouldn’t be there. Transfer the lentils and bouquet garni to a large saucepan, Dutch oven or French cocotte.
Add enough stock, to cover the lentils by a good 1/2-inch. Bring to a simmer and cook stirring often. The total cooking time should be between 30-40 minutes.
While the lentils are cooking, heat a medium sauté pan and add the bacon. Cook until the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper toweling. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat.
Heat the pan again and sauté the onion, carrots, celery, and leeks until carrots are barely tender. Add the garlic and continue to cook another 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.
As soon as the lentils are cooked, turn off the heat. Add the sautéed vegetables, sherry vinegar and mustard. Stir to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.
This is a variation on a recipe I found in a 2008 issue of Bon Appétit. They are made without flour or butter, so folks who are sensitive to gluten might enjoy these.
Gnocchi Parisienne
I was introduced to these light as air dumplings, not in a French restaurant but in one that specializes in the cuisine of the Mediterranean and Middle East.
I was hooked on the first bite and had to come home and start researching and testing various recipes to make them. This recipe is an adaption of many including one by Jacques Pepin. They are perfect served with a green salad, a crusty baguette and of course glass of wine.
1 ½ cups whole milk
3 sprigs fresh thyme
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, optional
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
Start heating about 5-inches of water in a large saucepan or small stock pot.
In a heavy, medium-sized saucepan, add thyme sprigs and milk and bring just to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow the thyme sprigs to steep for about 10 minutes.
While the thyme is steeping gently heat 5 tablespoons butter, olive oil and herbes de Provence in a small sauté pan. Cook on very low heat for about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.
Strain the milk through a sieve discarding the thyme sprigs. Return the milk to the saucepan and place back on the heat. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons butter and salt and return just to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the nutmeg and flour all at once, mixing it in quickly with a wooden spoon. Return the pan to low heat and keep stirring; the mixture will form a solid mass. Continue cooking for about 1 minute to dry and cook the dough a bit.
Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer and using the paddle attachment beat on low for about 10 seconds. Raise the speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate and scrapping down the bowl before adding the next egg. After all the eggs are incorporated add 3/4 cup of gruyere and 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and mix to incorporate.
The 5-inches of water in the saucepan or stock-pot is ready when it comes to a simmer. If the dumplings boil, they will cook too fast, causing them to expand and eventually deflate. They should poach as they will puff-up later when reheated in the oven.
Using about 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of dough per dumpling, scoop up the dough with a tablespoon, then push it off with your index finger into the simmering water; releasing the dough close to the water so it doesn’t splash on you.
Repeat, scooping and forming the dough as quickly as possible until it has all been formed into gnocchi. Alternatively, fit a pastry bag with a 1-inch plain tip and fill the bag with the dough. Rest the pastry tip on the edge of the saucepan, press the dough out, and cut it off at the tip with a paring knife as the dough emerges, making small gnocchi, each approximately 1 1/2-inches long.
Poach the gnocchi in simmering water for approximately 3 minutes. They will rise to the surface when they are sufficiently cooked. Using a slotted spoon, lift the gnocchi carefully from the water and place them in a bowl of ice water to cool. They will sink to the bottom of the bowl when cool. Drain and use right away, or refrigerate on a Silpat lined sheet pan for later use.
When ready to finish cooking, preheat the oven to 375°F. Arrange the cold gnocchi in one layer in a large oven-proof making dish or divide in individual gratin dishes. Pour the butter and oil mixture over them and top with the remaining grated cheeses. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned. Sprinkle with additional cheese shavings, and serve.