My desert-island luxury is olive oil. I use it in vast quantities, and since learning how good it is for my gut, I dress my plates ever more liberally with the stuff, marvelling at how a drizzle of the good stuff can transform the humblest of ingredients with its rounded, peppery taste. If you want value for money, seek out stockists online so that you can buy direct from farmers; then guard it with your life and never, ever cook with it – this stuff is only for salsas, dressings or drizzling.
Lentils and pancetta with goat’s curd and salsa verde
This simple bowl of lentils is given a lick of luxury with the rich, green salsa verde and tangy goat’s curd. If in a hurry, leave out the salsa verde and simply dress with lemon wedges.
Prep 25 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 4
300g puy lentils
750ml chicken or vegetable stock, or water
500g leeks
3 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
200g pancetta, diced
3cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
200g goat’s curd
1 lemon, quartered, to serve
For the salsa verde
100g flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves, peeled
5 anchovy fillets
1 tbsp capers
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
120ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to dress the plate
Wash the lentils in cold water and drain. Put them in a pan with the stock, bring to a boil and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes until just tender.
Meanwhile, trim the leeks, cut down the middle of the ends and clean thoroughly in cold water. Finely chop. Pour half the oil into a large frying pan, add the pancetta and saute for five minutes to render out some fat and brown it. Now add the remaining oil, leeks and ginger and saute for about 10 minutes until the leeks have cooked down and are tender.
To make the salsa verde, wash the parsley, tear off the stalks, shake dry and blitz in a food processor with the garlic, anchovy and capers. Add the vinegar, pulse-blitz and then pour in the olive oil until you have a green puree. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Once the leeks and lentils have cooked, mix them together with the vinegar and taste. Season with a little salt and pepper but remember that the salsa verde will season them, too. Serve the lentils in shallow bowls with dollops of goat’s curd, spoonfuls of salsa verde on top, drizzled with a little extra-virgin olive oil and wedges of lemon on the side.
And for the rest of the week
These lentils make a great side dish. Saute diced carrot and celery with the leeks and add fresh thyme. You could also leave out the goat’s curd and serve with a grilled lamb chop, steak or fish. Or turn into a soup by whizzing with more stock, topping with garlicky croutons, crisp shards of bacon, or diced, sauteed chorizo. The salsa verde is brilliant for transforming last-minute dinners – keep refrigerated under a film of oil and it will last well for at least a week.
• Food styling: Amy Stephenson
