Meu Fado Meu

I have been flattered (thank you ladies) to be asked for the secret to a dish I cobbled together created a couple of weeks ago.  This has unleashed my barely-restrained Fanny Craddock alter-ego so, rather than just emailing it, I’m presenting it with great flare and panache - plastered in foundation and in a ballgown - for the whole world’s edification.

Green lentils
Originally uploaded by *Hairbear.

This is a very easy and very satisfying dish which I really enjoy; perfect hot for cold winter evenings but also great just warm or cold in summer.  With store-cupboard standbys (as we celeb chefs like to say) and what is usually in the fridge I can usually make this or something very like it without much planning.  I don’t often have spinach in as it doesn’t take kindly to hanging around on the off-chance I might be inspired to use it but I do like the version with a huge mass of it wilted in just before the end (see Variations).

Olive oil
1 medium onion
1 medium courgette
1 red pepper
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1 garlic clove
3 sun-dried tomatoes
1 tsp dried crushed chilli flakes
6 oz puy lentils
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1 glass red wine
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15 fl oz hot vegetable stock
1 14 oz (400g) tin plum tomatoes
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Thyme
Basil
Soft goat’s cheese (optional)

1. Chop the onion, courgette, pepper, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. (The tomatoes can be either dried or preserved in oil. Use the equivalent of about 3 tomatoes e.g. 6 halves.)

2. In a large wide pan, sweat the onion in olive oil over a low heat for 5 minutes (avoid browning).

3. Add the courgette and pepper to the onions. Fry for a further ten minutes until the onion and pepper has softened.

4. Add the garlic along with sun-dried tomatoes and chilli flakes. Fry for a further 2-3 minutes to heat through and start releasing the flavours.

5. Towards the end of step 4, turn up the heat to medium/high but beware of burning. Add the lentils, stirring them for a minute with the other ingredients to warm them, then add and stir in the wine. (The pan and ingredients need to be hot enough to sizzle the wine and keep it bubbling in preparation for the next step.)

6. Once the wine has reduced by about half, add the tinned plum tomatoes and stock. Stir the ingredients together and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.

7. Add a handful of chopped thyme about 10 minutes before the end of cooking.

8. Once cooked (the lentils should stay fairly firm but no longer be like lead shot and a risk to your crowns), check the taste and add salt and pepper as required.

9. Stir in torn basil leaves before serving. Serve dotted with pieces of soft goat’s cheese if required.

10. Serve hot, just warm or cold as desired. This quantity is usually sufficient for about 6-8 people as an accompaniment or 4-6 as the central part of a meal.

Variations

• Replace the thyme with finely chopped rosemary and add this about 5 minutes earlier than indicated for the thyme.

• Stir in some washed, roughly chopped spinach leaves five minutes before the end. About 10 oz (300g) is about right. It seems a lot but will incorporate quite easily, if added in stages.

• Of course you can reduce or remove the chilli but just a few flakes really helps this be a memorable (in a good way) dish.