Lentil Stew

 A lot of ingredients but worth every one! This recipe originally comes from my Encyclopedia of Cooking.

2 cups green lentils
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
4 strips of thick bacon, diced
1/2 cup leeks, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk,  diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp cloves
1 cup red wine
5 cups chicken stalk
1 bunch cilantro
2 Tbsp yellow mustard
zest of one orange
2 tsp balsamic vinegar


Add lentils to a pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Drain.

Add butter and oil to a deep pan and heat over medium. Add onions and bacon and sweat for about 5 minutes. Add celery, carrot, leeks, garlic, rosemary, bay leaves, salt and pepper and fry until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Push the vegetables to the side and add the tomato paste to the empty space. Fry the paste until it thins and loses it's acidity, then mix everything together. Add the drained lentils and cloves and fry them for 2 minutes.

Add the red wine and cook until the liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently.

Add the chicken stock, making sure that the lentils are well covered in liquid. Add a bunch of cilantro (preferably tied with kitchen twine, but I also sometimes go without and it just take a little longer in removing after). Bring lentils to a boil and let the simmer slowly until the liquid is gone (about 20 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove cilantro bunch.

Right before serving, mix in mustard, orange zest and balsamic vinegar.

It goes best with fried Italian sausages.