Dinner Tonight: Braised Lentils with Winter Greens and a Fried Egg
The weather in Chicago has been absurdly cold the last week or so, with consistent below-average temperatures threatening winter before we've even seen the leaves change. My usual instinct is to respond with cooking that suits the temperature. If I don't want it to be this cold, then at least I can eat food that tastes best when it is this cold.
And so I turned (again) to a recipe from Last Night's Dinner, an informal little dish that's as comforting as an "old worn out sweater." Simple lentils with shallot and red wine, a pile of braised winter greens, and a fried egg on top. It's tasty, full of vitamins, and very easy to make.
I immediately thought back to something I cooked in April, a lentil salad with fresh wilted baby spinach. The flavors here are deeper, and winter greens are the star -- any kind of chard works well, or something sturdier like kale, mustard greens, or collards.
Braised Lentils with Winter Greens and a Fried Egg
- serves 2 -
Adapted from Last Night's Dinner.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup French green lentils
1 bunch winter greens, such as kale, chard, collards, etc.
1 shallot, peeled and minced
1/2 cup red wine
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/8 teaspoon red chili flakes, or to taste
Splash of lemon juice or sherry vinegar
salt and black pepper
2 eggs
Procedure
1. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup water and the red wine, bring to a boil, and simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 30 minutes or so. Add more water as necessary. Season to taste with salt.
2. In the meantime, wash the greens and slice the leaves away from the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil, garlic, and chili flakes in a saucepan or large skillet until fragrant, then add the leaves along with 1/4 cup or so of water and a pinch of salt. Cover, turn the heat to medium-low, and allow the leaves to steam as the water evaporates, tasting for tenderness and adding more water as necessary. Finish with lemon juice or vinegar to taste, and perhaps more olive oil.
3. When the lentils and greens are nearing completion, heat the remaining oil in a small non-stick skillet and fry the eggs sunny-side-up, about 3 minutes over medium-low heat, until the whites are set but the yolk is still runny.
4. Serve the greens on a bed of lentils, topped with the egg and fresh black pepper.
About the author: Blake Royer founded The Paupered Chef with Nick Kindelsperger, where he writes about food and occasional travels. After spending a year in Estonia, he now lives in Chicago.
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10 Comments:
This looks good, I may try this with broccoli rabe tonight.
Snackwell at 9:33AM on 10/14/09
No directions re: when to add the lentils. With the shallot or with the water/red wine?
auntcy1 at 3:45PM on 10/14/09
@Snackwell Broccoli rabe should work well, I love the gentle bitterness it brings.
@auntcy1 Sorry for the confusion -- the lentils should go in with the water.
Blake Royer at 5:40PM on 10/14/09
This is one of my favorite winter comfort foods (except I poach the egg). Tarragon adds a great dimension to it too.
Tactful_Cactus at 8:56PM on 10/14/09
Ohh so good! I usually make lentils (or moujadara) over the weekend, and eat them on working nights.
I heat the pre-cooked lentils up in a skillet for about 2 minutes, then I spread them out, dig a hole in the center, and crack the egg over the hole. Just like hash. It all comes together with a beautiful crust on the bottom of the lentils.
I have a lentil and bulgar moujadara recipe on my blog this week, because it is a fall and winter food I look forward to: http://cantaloupealone.blogspot.com/2009/10/moujadara-power.html
Cantaloupe Alone at 11:02AM on 10/15/09
Chicago has been brutally cold is right! Warm temps next week though :)
This looks outstanding.
Chew on That at 4:44PM on 10/15/09
What type of lentils works best here? I used little brown ones I bought in an Italian market, and had to use 1/2 as much water as this recipe calls for. Luckily I suspected this and figured I'd add more if I needed to, so mine did not turn into mush. But different types of lentils cook differently and require different amounts of liquid.
capricornpig at 5:50PM on 10/15/09
@capricornpig: The ingredients list calls for French green lentils, and that's what I used.
Blake Royer at 11:04PM on 10/15/09
Wow, one of my favorite fall dishes is Red Wine Braised Lentils, but I'm never sure what to put with them to satisfy non-vegetarians. I've begun integrating veggie sausage for myself and regular sausage for others, but this egg looks like the best way to please both parties. I am literally drooling.
BigGirlPhoebz at 8:58AM on 10/21/09
I made this last night with swiss chard and a poached egg. Easy and delicious!
dishingupdelights at 2:28PM on 10/22/09