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Sauted Lentils
1 pint lentils 1/4 teaspoon soda Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons butter or savory fat Wash the lentils and soak overnight. In the morning drain them, cover with warm water in which the soda has been dissolved, and bring them quickly to the boiling-point. Boil gently for one hour, drain, cover them again with fresh boiling water, and boil gently until tender; this generally requires about one and one-half to two hours longer. Test by mashing a lentil between the fingers. If it crushes quickly, they are done. Drain in a colander. Place butter or fat in a frying-pan and when it is melted add the lentils, with salt and pepper to season; stir them over the fire for fifteen minutes. Two minced onions may be added to the lentils, if desired.
The method here assumes hard, long-stored dried lentils; modern packaged lentils are far fresher and will fall apart long before the stated three hours.
- Cooking timeSkip the two-stage boil. Brown or green lentils bought today are tender in 20-30 minutes of gentle simmering, red ones in 15. The finger-crush test in the original is still the right one, just apply it much sooner.
- The sodaThe quarter teaspoon of soda was there to soften stubborn old lentils in hard water. It also turns them mushy, dulls the colour and gives a faintly soapy taste. Leave it out.
- SoakingLentils generally do not need an overnight soak; their seed coats are thinner than those of beans. A rinse and a pick-over for grit and stones is enough.
- A pint of lentilsMeasured dry, that is 2 cups, roughly 14 oz, which cooks up to about 5 cups. Enough for six as a side dish or four as a main.
- SaltingSalt the cooking water lightly rather than waiting until the frying pan. Lentils tolerate early salting well and season poorly once cooked.
- The sauteFifteen minutes of stirring will reduce cooked lentils to a puree; far less time in the fat is enough to coat them. If you use the two minced onions, cook them in the butter until soft before the lentils go in.
- Savory fatMost likely rendered bacon, ham or poultry fat. Bacon drippings or a good olive oil both work; the dish is bland without something assertive.