Sophie Dahl refers to the dish as Paris Mash because she made it in Paris when visiting Annie Morris, an artist. The stewed lentils are transformed into a delicious soup or salad with the addition of herbs and mache, a sweet and tender green. The French green lentils are the best for this recipe because they keep their shape after cooking.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups French green lentils (12 ounces)
- Salt
- One tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- One small onion, finely sliced
- One garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- One packed cup of baby spinach (2 ounces)
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon creme fraiche
- Four lightly-packed cups of mache or arugula
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- Freshly Ground Pepper
Directions
- Cover the lentils in a large pot with 2 inches of boiling water. Salt the lentils and simmer on a moderate heat for 40 minutes. Drain the lentils.
- Heat the oil in a deep, large skillet. Add the red onions and cook on a medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for about a minute until it is fragrant. Add the wine and lentils and cook until the wine is absorbed. This should take about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally as you add the stock and spinach, and cook until the spinach wilts, approximately 5 minutes. Add the creme fraiche. Add the mache and parsley, and cook for about 2 minutes until just barely wilted. Serve warm, seasoning with salt and pepper.
