Lentils with Chorizo and Carrots
This is a lentil version of Boeuf Borgignon. So very good!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: main dish pork
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 12 whole pearl onions (may use frozen – about 2/3rds cup)
- 4 ounces of bulk chorizo (fresh, not cured)
- 4 slices of bacon, diced 1/2 inch
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 6 to 8 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup carrots, finely chopped (about 3 medium)
- 1 1/2 cups onion, finely chopped (about 2 medium)
- 1 cup celery, finely chopped (about 2 stalks)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, left whole
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock or water (plus more if needed)
- 1 cup lentils (preferably green but brown in a pinch; brown tends to become mushy, so be careful when cooking; they may take less time)
- 8 baby carrots, or 4 large carrots, cut into 3 to 4-inch sections (cut the wide sections in half lengthwise – the baby carrots referred to here are actual baby carrots, not the strange prebagged ones in the store)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
If using fresh pearl onions, simmer five minutes in a small saucepan, drain, and peel. Set aside. If using frozen, set aside to thaw.
In a Dutch oven, break up chorizo and saute until cooked through. Remove to a plate. Add bacon and saute until nearly crisp. Remove to a plate with chorizo, and drain and discard all but about a tablespoon of the drippings.
Add a tablespoon of olive oil to pan, and saute mushrooms until tender and well browned. (Add a little water if it appears dry, then cook until the water has evaporated.) Add the mushrooms to the chorizo and bacon.
Add remaining olive oil to pan and add the diced carrots, onions, and celery, saute for five to eight minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook through for a minute or so. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute or two until it loses its bright red color. Add wine and stir, bring to a simmer, and reduce to about 1/2 the volume.
Add the bay leaf, thyme, and chicken stock, along with the lentils, and cook, leaving the lid slightly ajar. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes, stirring gently now and then.
After about 30 minutes, add the mushrooms, chorizo, and bacon back to the pot, along with the pearl onions. (Reserve some of the bacon as a garnish if desired.) Check to make certain there is enough liquid, and simmer another ten to fifteen minutes until the lentils are soft. There should be just a bit of the cooking liquid left in the pan.
While the lentils are finishing cooking, pan steam the baby or whole carrots to desired tenderness, drain, and add a bit of butter to the carrots.
Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if desired. Serve over mashed potatoes or polenta, with the steamed carrots to the side.
Notes
Nutrition for Lentils:
Cal 285; cal from fat 34%; tot fat 12g; sat fat 3g; chol 19mg; sod 423mg; pot 475mg; tot carb 14g; fib 4g; sug 4g; prot 10g