Crispy Lentil and Roasted Squash Salad with Salsa Verde
Gill Meller
LATIN NAME
Lens culinaris
MORE RECIPES
Mujadara; Dhal with crispy seaweed; Mozzarella with nettles and lentils; Roasted haggis, swede and kale salad
Lentils are a fantastic ingredient. With a whopping 25 per cent protein, these little pulses boast a range of earthy flavours – not strong, but distinct – and partner a huge range of other ingredients beautifully too. They have the advantage over other pulses that they are quick to cook. If prepared properly and dressed the right way, they can form the basis for a multitude of deeply satisfying dishes.
Lentils are legumes and like their relatives, beans and peas, they grow in pods. They are harvested when the pods are already dry and the lentils hard (though some are dried further once picked). This is the form we buy them in – which means they keep well for ages. You can buy ready-cooked lentils in cans or vac-packs too. But as dried lentils take so little time and effort to cook, and since freshly cooked lentils absorb the flavours of dressings and seasonings so well, they don’t offer a huge benefit. Lentils, unlike dried beans, do not require pre-soaking. It’s always worth giving them a thorough rinse in a sieve, but then they can go straight into the pot.
There are many different types of lentil, but the most prized are the very small, firm and slightly round variety grown in the volcanic soils of Le Puy in Southwest France, and around Castelluccio in Umbria, Italy. However, Puy-style lentils are grown elsewhere and can be excellent: they are often labelled as ‘French green lentils’ or lentilles vertes.
Puy (and similar) lentils have a wonderful creamy, almost peppery earthiness. As well as using them to add protein, nutty texture and subtle substance to vegetable dishes and salads, they make a really good simple accompaniment to fish or meat.
To cook them as a side dish, put the rinsed lentils in a pan, cover with water, bring up to a simmer, then drain to get rid of the slightly scummy water (the ‘scum’ is just protein from the lentils, so you can skip this step if you’re pushed for time). Cover with fresh water and add a few stock veg (roughly chunked carrots, onion and/or celery), a couple of bay leaves, some parsley stalks if you have any and perhaps a couple of bashed garlic cloves. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes, until tender but with a slight bite, then drain. It’s quite easy to overcook Puy-style lentils – and different batches do vary – so start checking early.
Dress the lentils while they are still warm – this will increase their absorption of the flavours. To enhance their nuttiness, use a nice peppery extra virgin olive oil, plus a dash of something acidic such as cider vinegar or lemon juice to bring out their hidden notes and, of course, season with plenty of salt and pepper. Or toss lentils with a mustardy dressing, chopped parsley and shallots – a great combination with fried mackerel, lamb, beef or game. For an exceptional treat, try lentils and meat with a piquant salsa verde.
In the autumn, try a warm salad of roasted parsnips, chorizo, kale and lentils. I even use Puy-style lentils in Asian-inspired dishes such as stir-fries or salads. Try combining them with cashew nuts, then dressing with chilli, garlic and tamari and finishing with lime juice and coriander. Another good trick with cooked Puy-style lentils is to fry them until light and crisp (see next recipe).
Puy or green lentils are great to sprout at home. Put them in a Kilner jar, soak overnight, drain and then let them sit in the jar, covered by a piece of cloth rather than a lid. Rinse with fresh water morning and night for 4–5 days. Quite quickly, these dormant and dry pulses sprout sudden shoots of life. When they have 2cm tails, rinse and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Use sprouted lentils raw to add character to salads, sandwiches or stir-fries, or to finish soups.
Where Puy lentils are prized for holding their shape, red lentils are appreciated for precisely the opposite quality. These bright orange pulses are hulled and split so they collapse easily into a fluffy, golden purée, which makes them great in soups, where they give a comforting thickness, and essential for Indian dhals.
For a filling lentil soup, fry onions and tomatoes with cumin, coriander seed and chilli, then add red lentils and stock and simmer for 25 minutes or so. You can either purée the soup or leave it coarsely textured. Finish with a few scraps of fried ham or spoonfuls of thick natural yoghurt, or a sprinkle of smoked paprika and olive oil.
Lagging behind Puy-style and red lentils in the popularity stakes, but nevertheless very respectable and economical ingredients, are plain brown or green lentils. These are slightly larger and flatter than Puys, with a thinner skin. They don’t collapse like a red lentil, but cook to a greater softness than Puys, and have a less distinctive flavour. They’re exactly what you want, however, in a big lentil bake or curry.
Split peas closely resemble lentils. Yellow or green in colour, they are derived from the same type of pea that we eat green and fresh (although eating them as a dried pulse is a much older practice). Once dried, the skins are removed and the two halves of the seed divide. They behave like lentils too: you don’t need to soak them, and they soften to the point of collapse when cooked.
CRISPY LENTIL AND ROASTED SQUASH SALAD WITH SALSA VERDE
Crisp, nutty, fried Puy lentils complement tender roasted squash beautifully. You can use sweet potato here in place of squash, and embellish this lovely autumn salad further with some crisp-fried leftover lamb, chicken or ham. In the spring or summer, the crisp lentils and salsa verde go beautifully with some blanched or roasted broccoli. Serves 4
1 squash, such as butternut or onion (about 1kg)
2 garlic cloves, bashed
4 sprigs of rosemary
3 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
150g cooked Puy (or similar) lentils
Sea salt and black pepper
FOR THE SALSA VERDE
1 small garlic clove
25g picked parsley leaves
2 anchovy fillets in oil
2 tsp capers, rinsed
1 tsp English or Dijon mustard
2 tsp lemon juice
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas 5.
Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash halves, cut side up, in a roasting tin. Place a bashed garlic clove and a couple of torn rosemary sprigs in each squash-half hollow. Season the squash with salt and pepper and trickle over 1 tbsp oil. Roast for 45–50 minutes or until the flesh is lovely and tender.
Meanwhile, make the salsa verde. Finely chop the garlic on a large board. Add the parsley, anchovies and capers and chop them all together until well mixed and fairly fine in texture. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the mustard, lemon juice, some black pepper and enough extra virgin olive oil to give a spoonable consistency. As you add these last ingredients, taste and tweak the mixture until you are happy with the balance of flavours.
Place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil, followed by the lentils. Fry, tossing regularly, for 10–12 minutes or until the lentils are really crisp (they will shrink too). Season well with salt and pepper.
Peel the warm, cooked squash (or just scoop the tender flesh out of the skin). Cut into bite-sized pieces and tip into a large serving bowl or divide between individual bowls. Scatter over the lentils, then spoon over the salsa verde. Serve straight away.