Nice

One of my favourite souvenirs of a trip to Nice in 2004, is a pirated recipe for Puy lentils.
It's warming, sustaining, simple and capable of infinite variation. Since our trip there in a cold February, I've made this every four-to-five weeks whenever I feel the need for comfort food. After my recent business trip involving ten days of sometimes dubious restaurant food, I felt that need today. It provided warmth on a frozen day, simplicity, and taste.

My version comprises:
250-300g Lentilles de Puy / small brown or green lentils.
2 carrots,
2-3 sticks of celery,
Garlic
Herbs
Dash of soya sauce,
Chunk of offcut ham, cut into pieces.
Chorizo / other meat,
Spoonful of chili sauce,
Anything kicking around the fridge looking sorry for itself.

+++++++++++++

Soak the lentils for upwards of 4 hours.
Drain, place in large saucepan or preferably a pressure cooker, add water / stock to just cover the surface.
Add chunked vegetables (today this included turned mushrooms and shredded cabbage)
Add seasonings
Bring to the boil
Add meats and anything else you fancy
Cook for 40 mins at low heat, or
Pressure cook for 15 mins.

Eat with brown bread and oil or butter, serve with Merlot or brown ale.

And repeat.


:o)