Mariana's Lentils

Last night I made Mariana's Lentil's. Mariana is my sweet, sweet sister who lives back in Spain. Last year, while visiting my family in Spain, my mother commented how my little sis (just a year younger) had over the years become quite a good home cook. Since we were planning on going to her house a few times I asked for her to make whatever dishes she felt were the best so I could sample her food. The two top choices were chicken curry and lentils.

As the days passed we missed a couple of opportunities to eat at her house and just a few says before leaving back to the US we finally got a chance to go to her house for dinner. Mariana planned to make the chicken curry, but having been a big fan of lentils all my life, I asked for her to also make some lentils so I could take them with me and have them while staying at my mother's before our return.

The chicken was good, but I am 1) not a big fan of chicken and 2) have eaten very good curries in my life making it very tough to compete. Since we ate out quite a bit in the last few days, the only chance I had to eat my sis' lentils was on our last day. Before going to the airport. For breakfast. If the Brits can have baked beans for breakfast I can certainly have lentils!

I was floored. Those lentils were unbelievably good. I mean, serious gourmet stuff. Of course you need to like lentils and the one-pot type of meals that come from mom's home (or in this case your little sister), but for days after I came back I kept thinking, I have got to get that recipe.

A few weeks after our return I asked her for the recipe. She replied with a long email including a list of ingredients without quantities ("a ojímetro", she said) and with a lot of optional ingredients. Best of all, they are cooked on a pressure cooker, so they take no more than 90 minutes from beginning to end. I rolled up my sleeves and basically added everything she listed. The result was terrific. If not the same, very, very close. I have made them twice since and they are just about perfect. They are also very healthy for you.

I hope her recipe is not a secret, because I am about to share it with the world...

Mariana's Lentils

(10 good servings, can be cut in half)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• Two large onions chopped small
• Two bay leaves (edge lightly burnt on a flame to bring up the flavor - great tip!)
• 5 or 6 garlic cloves
• 1 green bell pepper chopped small
• 1 red bell pepper chopped small
• 1 large leek (white and light green parts only) sliced fine
• 4 oz spanish chorizo (hot or mild), sliced thin and each slice halved
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed large
• 2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 lb dry brown lentils
• 1/4 cup parsley, minced
• 64 oz chicken stock plus a little more (about a glass)
• Salt to taste

Preparation

Heat oil in pressure cooker. When hot, add onion, garlic and bay leaves. After they start to soften, add peppers and leek. Cook for a few minutes and then add the chorizo and cook a little longer to get the veggies to turn orange from the paprika in the chorizo. Optionally, and diverting from Mariana's recipe, you may add a teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika if you want.

As the veggies start to get soft, add the potatoes and carrots. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the lentils, parsley and salt to taste (I added a little pepper too). Stir as you cook for another couple of minutes and then add chicken stock, stir and close the pressure cooker.

Cook on medium until the pressure cooker starts releasing steam. The time to cook will vary from pressure cooker to pressure cooker and depending on the type of lentils. Mariana cooks them for 20 minutes. For me 15 or 16 are plenty or they will get too soft. I would start with 15 and then cook a little longer if needed until the lentils are tender. When done, adjust salt (and pepper if you used it).

The lentils will look a tad soupy. The flavor and thickness will be better the second day, so it is better to make them a day in advance. After you have made them the first time and if you go again, you can adjust cooking time and amount of stock, but give them the extra day before you decide. They have a way to thicken overnight.

I like to serve them with croutons (home-made, please). When you get tired of eating lentils that way (unlikely), you can add a little bit of milk and puree them in a blender for a pretty darn good variation (also with croutons, of course).

Thanks go to Mariana for sharing her recipe which could not be kept a secret and should immediately and automatically become patrimony of the human kind. Thanks, Mariana.

(I apologize for not having a picture for this post, but I made them last night and didn't think about making a post out of this until this morning.)