Oven Braised Lentils Recipes

BRAISED BLACK LENTILS

Steps:

• Melt butter in olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Cook and stir onion, carrot, celery, and salt until vegetables are softened and onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and add thyme sprigs and pepper. Stir in lentils until well coated. Add chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer.
• Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, checking occasionally, until the lentils are tender and have absorbed all the liquid, about 35 minutes. Remove from heat and discard thyme stems. Stir in champagne vinegar and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

STEWED LENTILS WITH BACON AND HERBS

Steps:

• To cook the lentils: In a large saucepan combine all the ingredients. Add water to the pot until it covers the ingredients by about 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 20 to 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft.
• Remove the pot from the heat and season the water with salt. Taste the water to make sure it is seasoned. Let the lentils sit in the salty water for about 10 to 15 minutes. This will allow the lentils to absorb the seasoned water. Ladle off 1 cup of the lentil cooking water and reserve.
• Remove all the vegetables and aromatics from the lentils and discard. Strain the lentils from the water.
• To assemble the lentils: Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the bacon lardoons. When the bacon has rendered off a lot of fat and has become brown and crispy, add the onions. Season the onions with salt and sweat them until they become very soft and aromatic.
• Add the celery, fennel and carrot. Season with salt and saute over medium heat until the vegetables start to become soft and aromatic, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the cooked lentils, 1/4 of the reserved lentil cooking water, the mustard and vinegar. Cook until most of the liquid has reduced. Taste for seasoning, add salt or more vinegar, if needed. Serve hot or at room temperature.
• MMMMM!!!! Lentils and bacon...OH MY!!

OVEN-BRAISED LENTILS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or medium ovenproof pot over medium heat. Add vegetables and bacon, and cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add lentils, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour in stock to cover lentils. Bring to a boil. Cover, and transfer to oven. Braise until tender and thickened, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.

RANCH-STYLE BAKED LENTILS

Steps:

• Rinse the lentils. In a heavy saucepan, bring lentils, salt and 4 cups water to a boil. Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the lentils are tender. , Meanwhile, cook beef over medium heat in a skillet until meat is no longer pink. Drain excess fat. Stir in soup mix, ketchup, mustard, vinegar and remaining water. Gently stir in lentils. Spoon into a 2-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes.

BRAISED LENTILS

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add lentils and stir 1 minute. Add stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until lentils are just tender, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

BRAISED LENTILS WITH CLOVES

Steps:

• Insert cloves into onion.
• Combine onion, water, and next 9 ingredients (water through broth) in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.
• Remove onion and bay leaf with a slotted spoon; discard. Stir in salt; cook 2 minutes.

ROASTED SAUSAGES WITH BRAISED LENTILS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Heat a drizzle of oil in a heavy skillet set over medium-high heat and brown the sausages (don't worry about cooking them through), setting aside on a plate once browned.
• Add a little more oil to the skillet and saute the onion, carrot, and celery for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened.
• Add the lentils and the stock and bring to a simmer.
• Nestle the sausages back into the lentils and slide the skillet into the oven, then cook for 40 to 45 minutes, until the sausages are cooked through and the lentils are soft.

BRAISED LENTILS WITH GARLIC SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium heat in large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven. Slice onion into quarters; cut quarters crosswise into 1-inch chunks. Add onion, celery and garlic to pan; cook, stirring, until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Do not let vegetables brown (lower heat if necessary).
• Add sausage, lentils, thyme and enough water to cover. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, partially covered, until lentils are tender, about 1 hour.
• Season with vinegar and additional salt and pepper. Discard thyme. Stir in the parsley. Serve warm, with mustard alongside.

SLOW ROASTED LAMB SHANKS WITH BRAISED LENTILS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F. Spread onions, celery, and carrots over bottom of large roasting pan. Rub thyme and mint over lamb shanks; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place lamb shanks atop vegetables. Drizzle 3 tablespoons oil over. Roast uncovered 30 minutes. Pour 1 cup chicken stock over lamb and vegetables in pan. Reduce oven temperature to 425°F. Continue to roast uncovered until lamb is very tender and almost falls off bones, adding 1 cup stock to pan every 30 minutes and turning and basting lamb occasionally, about 3 hours longer. Using tongs, transfer lamb shanks to bowl; cover to keep warm.
• Transfer vegetables and pan juices to large saucepan; skim fat from surface. Add remaining 1 cup stock, wine, juniper berries if desired, and bay leaf to saucepan. Simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. Strain, pressing on solids to extract as much vegetable pulp and liquid as possible. Return strained liquid to same saucepan; bring to boil. Mix flour and butter to blend in small bowl. Add to saucepan; whisk until sauce thickens slightly and is reduced to 2 cups, about 2 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
• Spoon Braised Lentils onto 4 plates. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil over lentils. Top each serving with 1 lamb shank. Spoon sauce over lamb.
• Available in the spice section of most supermarkets.