Lentils - So Much Untapped Potential

[livius drusus]

Do any of y'all know how to make lentils come out delicious? I mean perfect texture -- no mushy, no crispy, no little jackets coming off -- and complex, interesting flavor? I feel like there's so much greatness in lentils, and yet, I've never once made them and said to myself "Self, those are some fucking awesome lentils."

Any cooking tips and recipes would be greatly appreciated.

[lisarea]

The Little Muffin used to think lentil soup was the food of the gods. It was the big treat dinner.

Awful part is that it was one of the cheapest and easiest things I made ever.

Some lentils, washed (I usually use black beluga lentils)
Lots of water
A bay leaf, basil, finely ground black and white pepper, salt, thyme, and whatever else it needs. I'm trying to remember if I'd put turmeric in it. Not sure, but it'd probably be a good idea. Usually not too much spice, just a hint of savory and just enough bitey to make it pop, you know?

That's all.

Cook until they're done jes right, which is not very long, so watch pretty carefully. You can serve it with a scoop of rice (sticky rice is probably best, because you can actually have a discernable scoop, and it looks cool, but Basmati or brown rice is good, too), or with some kind of bread, plus a really really dark green salad.

Was that way too vague? It's been a while since I've made it, and I honestly have no idea why. I should make it again really soon.

[livius drusus]

Yeah, see, it's the "whatever else it needs" and "done jes right" bits which trip me up.

[lisarea]

Originally Posted by livius drusus

Yeah, see, it's the "whatever else it needs" and "done jes right" bits which trip me up.

I get in trouble for that sometimes.

ODB: How much of this do we need?
Me: Um, the amount of it you want.
ODB: [really hairy eyeball]
Me: [runs sobbing from the room]

What I'm trying to get at is you want kind of mellow, sweetish savories with just enough pepper bite to keep it from tasting too spherical and cloying. I generally put just the bare minimum in early during the cooking, then add enough to round it out once it's sort of cooked in.

As to the cooking, I just plain don't remember is all. IIRC, you bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, then watch really carefully and take it off the heat while it's just a tiny bit too firm still. You have to do that with soups because you don't drain them, so they keep cooking.

But yeah, you're right. I could never write a cookbook.

[ceptimus]

I just boil them up (well not quite boil - more simmer - boiling seems to spoil them). I find that adding a knob of butter to the water improves the flavour and texture. I suppose butter is off limits to some vegetarians though. Maybe a dash of olive oil or similar would do the same trick.

I also tried cooking them in a microwave, but I couldn't make that work.

[Skep]

My mom makes a great lentil soup. No recipe though. She uses onion, carrots, diced potatoes, and smoked kielbasa cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks. Seasoned with salt, plenty of pepper, and a bay leaf. Served with a crusty loaf of bread, it makes a great meal.