Lentejas Estofadas

A creamy sauce, tinted red by the rendered chorizo fat. The lentils are tender and the vegetables melt in the mouth, releasing a scent of smoky paprika and bay leaf.

• Prep time: 20 min
• Cook time: 50 min
• Difficulty: Easy
• Calories: 904
• Protein: 48 g
• Carbs: 70 g
• Fat: 43 g

Ingredients

• 400 g Green lentil ( rinsed )
• 150 g Chorizo ( in 1cm slices )
• 150 g Semi-salted pork belly ( in large cubes )
• 1 piece Yellow onion ( finely chopped )
• 3 piece Garlic ( minced )
• 2 piece Carrot ( sliced )
• 2 piece Potato ( cut using 'cascando' technique )
• 1 tbsp Smoked paprika
• 2 piece Bay leaf
• 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1.5 L Mineral water
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt
• 150 g Morcilla (Spanish blood sausage) ( cut into thick slices )

Instructions

1. Preparation of the aromatic base

   In a pot, heat the olive oil. Sauté the chopped onion and garlic with a pinch of salt until translucent. Add the sliced carrots.

2. Browning the meats

   Add the thick-sliced chorizo, diced pork belly, and sliced morcilla. Brown until the chorizo releases its red oil and perfumes the kitchen.

3. Moistening and cooking

   Add the lentils, smoked paprika, and bay leaf. Cover with mineral water (about 3 times the volume of the lentils). Bring to a boil, then lower the heat for a constant simmer.

4. Binding and finishing

   Add the chopped potatoes. Simmer until a knife blade sinks in like butter. The sauce should coat the spoon and be thickened by the potato starch.

Chef's tips

• Never salt the lentils at the beginning of cooking, it toughens the skin.
• When cutting potatoes, start the cut with a knife and finish by snapping the piece off: this releases more starch to thicken the sauce.

Storage

Keeps for 3 days in the fridge. If the sauce thickens too much, loosen it with a splash of water when reheating.