Best Truffled Lentils With Spanish Ham Recipes

LENTILS AND HAM

Steps:

• 1. Sort, wash, and cook lentils according to package directions. They do not require soaking. They are usually done in 40-45 minutes. Halfway through cooking, stir in the chopped ham (or other meat).
• 2. While lentils are cooking, sauté garlic, onion, celery, and carrot in the olive oil, over medium-low heat, until soft. Set aside.
• 3. When lentils are done, drain and reserve liquid. Stir tomato paste into 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid until smooth. Add this mixture, along with the sautéed vegetables, to the lentils and ham, and combine well. This is just to moisten the lentils so they are not dry, but not to make soup. If more liquid is needed, add in a little at a time until a rich stew is achieved. Bring to a boil and heat through to serving temperature.
• 4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Adding Liquid Smoke seasoning enhances the ham flavor. Liquid Smoke is a vegan product and can be used to flavor the vegetarian version of this recipe.
• 5. To make in your Crock Pot: ~ Sort and wash lentils, and place them in a 3-4 quart slow cooker. Sauté the vegetables in the oil as in step 2, and add them to the slow cooker. Top with the ham. ~ Stir the tomato paste into 1/2 cup water, then add that to the slow cooker. Cover with fresh water to 3" above the level of the ingredients. ~ Cook on low power 3-4 hours (high, 2 hours). Check water level and add more if needed, as the lentils absorb the liquid. ~ When lentils are done, season with salt, pepper, and Liquid Smoke.

LENTIL HAM SOUP

Steps:

• Stir chicken broth, water, carrots, celery, onion, lentils, garlic, and red wine vinegar together in a large stockpot; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook at a simmer until the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Stir ham, mustard, salt, and pepper into the soup; continue cooking until the lentils are tender, 20 to 30 minutes more.

TRUFFLED LENTILS WITH SPANISH HAM

Steps:

• Use the fine-mesh strainer to rinse the lentils under running water; remove pebbles or debris. Place rinsed lentils into a medium heavy-bottomed pot. Chop the celery and carrot into large chunks and add to the pot. Peel and lightly smash 2 cloves of garlic before adding to the pot. Finally, add thyme, bay leaves, chicken stock, and half the chunk of slab bacon. Cover the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook until the lentils are very tender, about 30 minutes.
• While the lentils are cooking, dice the remaining bacon into ¼-inch cubes; set aside. Peel and finely dice the shallot; set aside. Use a Microplane or rasp to finely grate the cheese; set aside.
• About 5 minutes before the lentils are finished, prepare the eggs for poaching: Crack one egg into a small ramekin or bowl and set aside. Fill a small nonstick skillet with ½ inch of olive oil and place over low heat, and slowly bringing the oil to 130 degrees F. While the oil is warming, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil in the pan. Add the remaining diced bacon to the saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is browned and crispy.Once the oil has come to temperature, slowly slide the egg from the ramekin into the oil. Repeat with second egg. While the eggs are poaching, add the shallots to the bacon. Sauté the shallots for a minute; then add the sherry vinegar, scraping the browned bits (or "fond") from the bottom of the pan.
• When the egg whites are set, turn off the heat.Use a slotted spoon to add 2 generous portions of the cooked lentils to the bacon and shallots. (Reserve remaining lentils for a future use.) Stir gently, then fold in the butter; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the grated cheese; stir to melt the cheese and combine all the ingredients.
• Spoon half of the lentils into a bowl. Gently slide a poached egg on top; curl 3 slices of ham over the lentils, and finish with a generous grating of fresh truffle or a dollop of truffle paste. Repeat for the second serving of lentils. Serve immediately.