Basic French Lentils

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A humble peasant dish, this will be best made with real french _lentilles du puy_. Adapted from dorie greenspan's _around my french table_ as published by caroline russock at serious eats. Http://bit.ly/d4ibav

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Steps

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Pick over the lentils , removing any stones.

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Rinse under cold water and drain well.

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Put lentils in a saucepan.

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Cover with water.

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Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.

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Pour into strainer and rinse with cold water.

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Rinse saucepan as well and return lentils to pan.

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Push the clove into the onion and place onion in saucepan.

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Add carrot , celery , garlic , bay leaf and stock.

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Bring to a boil , then reduce to a simmer and cook 25-30 minutes until almost tender.

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Skim off any solids that rise up while cooking.

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Season with salt and pepper and cook an additional 5-10 minutes until fully tender.

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Add cognac , if using.

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Drain the lentils.

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Discard the garlic , bay leaf and clove.

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Dice the vegetables and stir back into the lentils along with the shallot , if using.

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Serve hot or at room temperature.

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Store lentils and cooking liquid separately in airtight containers in refrigerator up to 3 days.

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Reheat lentils in cooking liquid in a covered saucepan over low heat.

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Ingredients

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lentils, clove, onion, carrot, celery rib, garlic clove, bay leaf, chicken broth, cognac, shallot, pepper