Lentils With Port Glazed Shallots Food

MUSHROOM STRUDEL WITH BRAISED SHALLOTS AND FRENCH LENTILS, WITH A PORT DEMI-GLAZE

Steps:

• Mushroom Strudel Filling: In large saute pan sweat garlic in butter. Add mushrooms and saute briefly. Deglaze with Marsala and add all remaining ingredients. Cook on low heat until all liquid has evaporated. Remove thyme stems and chill mushroom mixture.
• Braised Shallots: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In large saute pan, caramelize shallots in butter. Deglaze with white wine and Espagnole sauce. Add all remaining ingredients. Cover the pan, place in the oven, and cook until shallots are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and keep hot.
• Sauce: Place all ingredients in saucepan and reduce by half.
• Lentils: Place both ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and then simmer on medium heat until lentils are tender.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lay phyllo out on a flat surface (4 sheets per strudel). Brush one side of each sheet with melted butter and layer together.
• Place 3 ounces of strudel mix in center of dough, leaving one inch of uncovered dough on either end. Fold over edges and roll to form a strudel. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
• Bake in 350 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until brown. Remove from oven and cut through middle of strudel on bias.
• Cover plate with 6 ounces of sauce. Place 4 braised shallots in center of plate, stack strudel on top of shallots, and garnish with French lentils.

SALMON WITH LENTILS

Steps:

• Place the lentils in a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 15 minutes, then drain.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saute pan, add the onions, leeks, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the drained lentils, celery, carrots, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Add the vinegar and season, to taste.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• For the salmon, heat a dry oven-proof saute pan over high heat for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, rub both sides of the salmon fillets with olive oil and season the tops very liberally with salt and pepper. When the pan is very hot, place the salmon fillets seasoning-sides down in the pan and cook over medium heat without moving them for 2 minutes, until very browned. Turn the fillets and place the pan in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, until the salmon is cooked rare. Spoon a mound of lentils on each plate and place a salmon fillet on top. Serve hot.
• Place the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, salt, and peppercorns in a 16 to 20-quart stockpot with 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Skim the surface, as needed. Simmer uncovered for 4 hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander, discarding the chicken and vegetables, and chill. Discard the hardened fat, and then pack the broth in quart containers.

GLAZED SHALLOTS

Steps:

• In a skillet just large enough to hold the shallots in a single layer, combine the shallots, wine, stock, sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the liquid evaporates and the shallots are very tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Raise heat to medium high and cook, shaking the pan frequently, until the shallots begin to brown and are coated with a thick syrup. Remove from heat and add the final tablespoon of butter, shaking the pan until it is melted and incorporated. Serve immediately.

AROMATIC LENTILS AND SAUTEED MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Mushrooms:
• Put the oil and butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the crimini mushrooms, garlic, and thyme, saute until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper, toss and remove from heat. Reserve the mushrooms to add to the cooked lentils.
• Lentils:
• Put the lentils, shallots, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and water in a pot, bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer, cook until lentils are tender.
• Remove the bay leaves, garlic, and shallots, and set aside. Strain the lentils and put in a large bowl.
• Puree the garlic and shallots, and add back to the lentils and season with salt, and pepper. Add the sauteed mushrooms and diced tomatoes to the lentils. Toss and garnish with chives.

CRISPY GLAZED PORK BELLY WITH AROMATIC LENTILS

Steps:

• To make pickling liquid: Put the brown sugar, bay leaves, salt, peppercorns, cloves, water and cider vinegar in a pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
• Put the pork belly into a pot of cold salted water and bring to a boil, skim the top of the water to remove the impurities, then reduce to a simmer for approximately 10 minutes. Strain the pork from the water and rinse.
• Put the pork belly pieces into the pickling liquid and simmer for approximately 30 to 45 minutes, until tender.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the pork belly from the pickling liquid and pat dry. In a large cast iron pan over medium heat, sear the pork belly, season with salt, and pepper, then put in oven. Continue to check on the pork belly constantly turning the pieces over to ensure all sides are crispy, remove from the oven.
• Strain 2 cups of pickling liquid in a small pan and reduce by 2/3, until the liquid achieves a thick syrup consistency. Put the reduced pickling liquid, now a glaze, in a bowl and coat the crispy pork belly.
• Spoon the Aromatic Lentils and Sauteed Mushrooms, recipe follows in the center of the serving plate, then scatter the crispy glazed pork belly around the aromatic lentils and serve immediately. Serve with Baked Eggs, if desired, recipe follows.
• Mushrooms:
• Put the oil and butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the crimini mushrooms, garlic, and thyme, saute until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper, toss and remove from heat. Reserve the mushrooms to add to the cooked lentils.
• Put the lentils, shallots, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and water in a pot, bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer, cook until lentils are tender.
• Remove the bay leaves, garlic, and shallots, and set aside. Strain the lentils and put in a large bowl. Puree the garlic and shallots, and add back to the lentils and season with salt, and pepper. Add the sauteed mushrooms and diced tomatoes to the lentils. Toss and garnish with chives.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Divide the vegetable oil and shallots evenly among 4 oven-proof wide-mouthed ramekins. Gently crack 2 eggs per ramekin. Divide the tomato, butter, and cream evenly among the ramekins. Season with salt, and pepper, and put in the oven for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, until eggs whites have set.
• Carefully, remove the ramekins from the oven and garnish with fresh sliced chives and serve immediately with toast.

LENTILS WITH PORT-GLAZED SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Combine Port and small shallots in heavy medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until shallots are tender and Port glazes shallots, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes. Set aside. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Keep at room temperature.)
• Finely chop large shallot. Combine chopped shallot, drained lentils and 3 cups water in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover sauce-pan and simmer until lentils are just tender, about 30 minutes.
• Rewarm Port mixture over medium-low heat. Stir oil and Port mixture into lentils. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer lentils to bowl and serve.