Lentils Braised in Red Wine

by Nigella. Featured in FEAST

Introduction

I've used Beluga lentils here, partly because I love the name, but mostly because I am very keen on these tiny, black spheres which, when slicked with oil, look like caviar. But do use the paler grey-green Italian Castelluccio lentils if you can get them, or indeed the slate-blue Puy lentils from France.

The crucial thing here is that lentils be served on New Year's Day. In Italy, sausages and lentils are a traditional New Year's Day feast, as the lentils are supposed to resemble coins and therefore signal a year of prosperity ahead.

And please read the Additional Information section at the end of the recipe before proceeding.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

And please read the Additional Information section at the end of the recipe before proceeding.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

As featured in

FEAST

2004

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Lentils Braised in Red Wine — Photo by James Merrell

As featured in

FEAST

2004

Buy Now

Ingredients

Serves: 8

Metric Cups

1 carrot
2 cloves garlic
1 stick of celery
1 large onion
100 grams streaky bacon
3 tablespoons olive oil
500 grams beluga lentils
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
300 millilitres red wine (or vermouth)
olive oil for dressing
1 handful fresh parsley (optional)

1 carrot
2 cloves garlic
1 stick of celery
1 large onion
4 ounces bacon
3 tablespoons olive oil
2⅓ cups beluga lentils
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1¼ cups red wine (or vermouth)
olive oil for dressing
1 handful fresh parsley (optional)

Method

Peel the carrot and garlic cloves and chop finely with the celery, onion and streaky bacon, or process everything until finely chopped. Heat the oil in a large pan, and add the chopped or processed vegetables and streaky bacon. Cook them over a gentle heat until soft, which will take up to about 10 minutes.
Tip the lentils into the pan and stir them around to get slicked with the oil, and then add the bay leaves and Dijon mustard.
Pour in the red wine and 750ml/3 cups of water, or enough water so that the lentils are just covered in liquid. Bring to the boil and cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until just tender. One of the good things about the Beluga lentils is they tend not to turn mushy, so there's less problem about overcooking.
When the lentils are cooked, check the seasoning and add salt if necessary and dress with a little olive oil as you serve them. If you are cooking the lentils in advance, simply take them off the heat, and put the pan in a cool place somewhere (say on a chilly stainless-steel surface or near a window out of the sun). Warm through the next day by adding a little water and olive oil and keeping them, covered, on a low heat until warm.
Then, by all means, take the lid off and stir through with a wooden spatula to help them get hot throughout.
Transfer to a serving dish, tasting for seasoning and dressing with a little olive oil as you do so. If you want some freshly chopped parsley on top, scatter as desired. I rather like, however, their uninterrupted muddy blackness.

Peel the carrot and garlic cloves and chop finely with the celery, onion and bacon, or process everything until finely chopped. Heat the oil in a large pan, and add the chopped or processed vegetables and bacon. Cook them over a gentle heat until soft, which will take up to about 10 minutes.
Tip the lentils into the pan and stir them around to get slicked with the oil, and then add the bay leaves and dijon mustard.
Pour in the red wine and 750ml/3 cups of water, or enough water so that the lentils are just covered in liquid. Bring to the boil and cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until just tender. One of the good things about the Beluga lentils is they tend not to turn mushy, so there's less problem about overcooking.
When the lentils are cooked, check the seasoning and add salt if necessary and dress with a little olive oil as you serve them. If you are cooking the lentils in advance, simply take them off the heat, and put the pan in a cool place somewhere (say on a chilly stainless-steel surface or near a window out of the sun). Warm through the next day by adding a little water and olive oil and keeping them, covered, on a low heat until warm.
Then, by all means, take the lid off and stir through with a wooden spatula to help them get hot throughout.
Transfer to a serving dish, tasting for seasoning and dressing with a little olive oil as you do so. If you want some freshly chopped parsley on top, scatter as desired. I rather like, however, their uninterrupted muddy blackness.

Additional Information

For gluten free: Dijon mustard is usually gluten free but check the ingredients list on the jar to be sure.

MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Cooked lentils will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days or can be frozen in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat the lentils in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water if needed, until piping hot. Reheat only once.

For gluten free: Dijon mustard is usually gluten free but check the ingredients list on the jar to be sure.

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What 2 Others have said

A kind friend brought me a packet of beluga lentils from France, so I was able to make this for New Year's Day, just as Nigella suggests. I liked it--the glossy blackness of the lentils really is beautiful--but be warned: lentil soup it aint! A side dish of steamed bitter greens--cime di rapa, say--would go nicely.

Posted by Fan in Japan on 1st January 2017
I love lentils but this is the best way to cook them. Love

Posted by edgar avila on 6th April 2014

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