Dayrecipe Food Community

Adapted from La Régalade

Active time; 45 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 1to 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 4very thin slices firm white sandwich bread, cut in1/4-inch dice
• 4fresh thyme sprigs
• 4fresh parsley sprigs
• 4fresh chives
• 2bay leaves (not california)
• 1cup dried lentilles de puy (french green lentils; 7 oz)
• 1/2lb vacuum-packed chestnuts (1 1/2 cups)
• 10cups cold water
• 2 1/2teaspoons kosher salt
• 100gm cooked pure-goose
• foie gras medallions (3 1/2 oz)
• 2whole large eggs
• 2large egg yolks
• 1 1/2cups heavy cream
• 1/3cup sliced almonds, toasted
  special equipment:6 (1 1/2-cup) ovenproof soup plates and kitchen string

DIRECTIONS Make croutons:
Heat 1/4 inch oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook bread, stirring frequently, until deep golden, about
1 minute. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

Make soup:
Tie thyme, parsley, chives, and bay leaves together with kitchen string to make a bouquet garni. Bring lentils, chestnuts, water, bouquet garni, and
1 1/2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan. Simmer, partially covered, until lentils are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Discard bouquet garni and reserve 2 cups cooking liquid. Purée remaining soup in 2 or 3 batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), then pour through a large sieve into a large bowl, discarding solids. Whisk in enough of reserved cooking liquid to reach a thin, creamy consistency, then season with salt and pepper. (Soup will continue to thicken as it stands; keep reserved cooking liquid on hand to thin as needed.)

Make custard while soup simmers:
Preheat oven to 325°F.

Purée foie gras, whole eggs, yolks, and remaining teaspoon salt in afood processor until very smooth.With motor running, add 1 cup cream in a stream and blend until just combined (do not overprocess, or cream will curdle).

Put soup plates on 2 large baking sheets, then divide custard among them. Bake in upper and lower thirdsof oven until just set, 15 to 20 minutes (some custards will cook quicker than others; check each one). Cool to warm.

To assemble and serve:
Reheat soup, stirring occasionally, until very hot. Beat remaining ‚ cup cream until it just holds stiff peaks, then vigorously whisk whipped cream into soup. Pour soup over custards and sprinkle with croutons and almonds.

Cooks’ note:
• Custards may be made (but not baked)4 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Because of chilling, you may need to bake custards a few extra minutes if made ahead.

Tabbouleh is made with bulgur, but we decided to shake things up a bit by mixing tabbouleh flavors (parsley, tomato, and lemon) with rice and lentils, a common Middle Eastern pairing. Served chilled or at room temperature, the salad is terrific with any meat, poultry, or fish. You could add chickpeas, corn, or more lentils for a vegetarian main course.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 40 min

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

Virginia Flesher of Charleston, West Virginia, writes: “Last spring I attended my oldest grandson’s college graduation in New York. The evening before the ceremony, the entire family dined at Town in the Chambers Hotel. I can still remember chef Geoffrey Zakarian’s superb lentil soup.”

Makes 6 first-course or 4 main-course servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 3ounces thinly sliced pancetta,* cut into thin strips1 1/2cups coarsely chopped celery (about 3 stalks)
• 1 1/2cups chopped white onion (about 1 medium)
• 3/4cup chopped carrot
• 2slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 1head of garlic, most of outer skin removed, cut in half crosswise
• 2small bay leaves
• 1tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1pound french green lentils, rinsed, drained
• 10cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
• 2tablespoons whipping cream
• 1tablespoon white wine vinegar8green onions, cut crosswise into quarters, then cut lengthwise into thin strips

DIRECTIONS Sauté pancetta in heavy large pot over medium-high heat until crisp and brown. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain (do not clean pot). Spoon 1 tablespoon drippings into medium skillet and reserve.

Add celery, onion, carrot, bacon, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme to remaining drippings in pot and sauté until vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Add lentils and stir 1 minute. Add 10 cups broth; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until lentils are soft, about 1 hour. Discard bay leaves and garlic. Using slotted spoon, transfer 2 cups lentils to small bowl; cover and reserve. Working in batches, puree remaining soup until almost smooth. Return to pot. Add cream and vinegar. Thin with more broth to desired consistency. Seasonwith salt and pepper.

Reheat pancetta drippings in reserved skillet over medium-high heat. Add green onions; sauté until wilted, about 1 minute.

Divide soup among bowls. Spoonlentils in center of each bowl, dividing equally. Garnish with pancetta and green onions and serve.

*Pancetta, Italian bacon cured in salt, is available at Italian markets, some specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets.

Serve with: Warmed flatbread. Dessert: Vanilla pudding with sliced mango.

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 4tablespoons olive oil
• 1medium onion, chopped
• 3garlic cloves, minced
• 2teaspoons ground cumin
• 3/4teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2teaspoon ground allspice
• 214-ounce cans vegetable broth
• 3/4cup dried lentils, rinsed, picked over
• 3/4cup long-grain white rice2large onions, sliced3tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
• 1cucumber, peeled, cut into rounds
• plain yogurt
• chopped fresh mint

DIRECTIONS Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and next 4 ingredients; sauté until onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add broth and lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in rice; return to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions; sauté until soft and beginning to blacken, about 20 minutes.

Season pilaf to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to plates; top with blackened onions. Place tomatoes and cucumber alongside. Top pilaf with dollop of yogurt. Sprinkle with mint.

Sosizza chi Linticchi

The hearty, warming goodness of this one-course meal is only increased by its utter simplicity of preparation. Accompany the stew with crusty bread.

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups lentils
• 1 1/4 pounds thick or thin sweet (mild) italian sausages without fennel seeds
• 3 ribs celery plus their leaves
• 1 medium-sized yellow onion
• 5 1/2 cups spring water
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• black pepper

DIRECTIONS Rinse the lentils and cull them for small stones and debris. Put them in a heavy 4-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid. Cut thick sausages into 1-inch lengths or thin ones into 2-inch lengths, and put them in the pot. Clean and thinly slice the celery, chop the leaves, peel and finely chop the onion, and add it all to the pot.

Pour in the water, and add the salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Stir all the ingredients together, cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Reduce the heat and cook at a lively simmer for about 1 hour, stirring from time to time to prevent the lentils from burning. When the sausages and lentils are cooked and the liquid has thickened, serve piping hot in bowls.