Lentils de Puy

riverfox asked me for lentil recipes. This is my favorite. I don't have the name of the cookbook I found the recipe in. I have no doubt I've made at least a couple of modifications.

The liquid to lentil ratio should be the same as on the package.

Rinse and pick over the lentils. Take an onion (medium to large for two cups of lentils, medium to small for one cup of lentils, or a shallot or part of an onion for less than a cup of lentils) with three cloves in it, one clove of peeled garlic (optional), a bay leaf (two if you either like the flavor or you're using more than two cups of lentils), a half teaspoon of thyme (you can put in whole sprigs if you have fresh), and a few black peppercorns. Add them to your lentils in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Use red wine -- it can be cheap, but shouldn't be sweet -- or a combination of red wine and water as your liquid. Bring it all to a boil. Cover the pan, then turn it down to a low simmer. After twenty minutes add salt. Add more liquid if necessary. Cover again and simmer another twenty minutes or until the desired degree of doneness.

I like my lentils a little firm. If you like them mushier, simmer them longer. If you're allergic to alcohol, you can use water, broth, or stock. Broth or stock probably won't need salt added.

This recipe is vegan and can be served cold or hot. It's really lovely chilled as a summer lunch.