Braised Italian Lentils and Eggs with Pesto
Photography by Sarah Tuck.
I recently became re-addicted to lentils, so much so that I made up this recipe as a way of being able to enjoy them any time of day, for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
200 grams puy lentils
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
100 grams pancetta, chopped
½ onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 small zucchini, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
pinch chilli flakes
½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
a few basil leaves
½ cup basil pesto
2-4 eggs, fried or poached to your liking
METHOD
Put lentils in a saucepan and cover (by at least 6 or 7cm) with cold water. Add bay leaves, bring to the boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes. Drain well, rinse under cold running water and drain again. Fold vinegar through.
In a large, deep, sauté pan heat olive oil and cook pancetta over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes until crispy and releasing it's fat. Add onion, celery, carrot and zucchini with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cook for 15 minutes over a gentle heat until the vegetables are softened. Add garlic and chilli with lentils and cook for 2 minutes, then put aside. Poach or fry 2-4 eggs (depending on how eggy you want to get), give the lentils a final blast to heat through, stir through parsley and serve topped with basil, eggs and pesto, sea salt and a good grinding of black pepper.
Stuck in the Kitchen
This recipe has been reproduced with permission from Sarah Tuck, from her beautifully photographed food blog, Stuck in the Kitchen. For more recipe ideas and cooking inspiration, like her Facebook page. To read a little more about her and find out how Stuck in the Kitchen began, read our story on her.
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