It was red lentils that were found preserved near Jarmo in Iraq, dating back to the sixth or seventh century BC. Red was also the colour of the lentils that Xin Zhui (Lady Dai), the wife of Li Cang, the Marquis of Dai, took to her tomb in 163BC. They were excavated in 1972, along with 1,000 precious artefacts and Xin’s body, miraculously preserved by an unknown liquid and 20 layers of clothing bound with silk ribbons.
Less well-preserved were the carbonised remains of lentils found in Greece dating back to 11BC. The Greeks taught the Romans to eat lentils, and then the Romans marched them all over – although maybe not as far as Britain. The first mention I can find of lentils among my books is in 1956 in The Constance Spry Cookery book, where she gives recipes for soup, puree and a perky-sounding lentil salad with pickled onions, French dressing and celery. All this is to say, lentils, the oldest pulse and one of the earliest domesticated crops, have been nourishing us for a very long time.
They nourish the three of us every week, often more than once, which is as much to do with us liking them as the fact that they cost relatively little, feed many and don’t need soaking: just tip into the water like hailstones; the impenetrable little lenses turn nutty and pleasantly muddy in 25 minutes.
I cook the small, slate-grey and brown Italian lentils in three ways. The first is to boil them in well-salted water with celery, carrot, onion, a clove of garlic and a bay leaf until tender. Once drained, the gently flavoured lentils can be left whole, or pureed (in which case, a bit of cooking water might be needed), then tossed with butter or olive oil, parsley and black pepper. This is also the way I cook lentils before tossing them with orange zest, mint, salt and olive oil.
The second way also begins by boiling them in salted water. At the same time, in another pan, fry some finely chopped onion, carrot, celery, garlic and parsley stems in olive oil. Once the lentils are tender, drain, then mix with the soffritto, some chopped parsley leaves, black pepper and a spoonful of olive oil for shine. The soffritto retains its brightness and the lentils their integrity, which makes them a good partner for roast meat and baked goat’s cheese.
The third way, the Jackie Collins way, or “steamy braise”, is the way I adopt most of the time. It starts with a soffritto of vegetables cooked in olive oil, to which the lentils are added, then water, and left to simmer until the lentils are tender. How soupy the final dish depends on you: 300g lentils and 1.5 litres water produces a soup to be served just so, or you can add pasta – tiny tubes or squares of fresh pasta for what some refer to as pasta e lenticchie, others minestra di lenticchie. This is halfway to a stew and the basis of today’s recipe, bolstered with potato and greens: a soft, soupy stew that can be served as is or with sausages.
I usually cook this for both meat and non-meat eaters; I cook the sausages separately, browning them first, then adding a small glass of white wine to the pan so they finish off in a steamy braise. If everyone is eating sausages, they can be started off in another pan, then added to the lentils at the same time as the potato, and therefore braised alongside the other ingredients, which makes for a richer dish. With or without meat, this is a gentle winner that will be feeding us for a long time to come.
Lentils, potato, greens and sausage
Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4
1 small onion, peeled and diced
1 stick celery, diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and gently crushed but whole
1 bay leaf
1 tsp red chilli flakes
Salt
6 tbsp olive oil
300g small brown lentils, rinsed
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
150g spinach or escarole
4 large sausages (optional)
In a large, deep frying pan or casserole over a medium heat, fry the onion, celery, garlic, bay, chilli and a pinch of salt in the olive oil until the vegetables are softish and translucent.
Add the lentils, stir for a minute, add 1.2 litres water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
After 15 minutes, add the potato, and simmer until the lentils are tender but still holding their shape; the idea is that much of the water has evaporated, but not all, so the lentils are still slightly soupy. Add more water if the pan looks dry.
In the last few minutes of cooking, add the spinach or escarole and wilt down. Serve with some olive oil poured over the top.
If you are serving with sausages, you have two options. The first is to cook them in a separate pan and then serve on top. The second is to start them off in another pan and then add them along with the potato so they finish cooking with the other ingredients.
