Thursday, November 17th, 2011
Gratin of Cabbage and Lentils
It always amazes me that lentils and cabbage go so well together.
In my teenage years when my interest in cooking was really taking off, one of the most popular cook books amongst my circle of friends was Rose Elliots ‘Not just a load of old lentils’.
That’s when I discovered my love of pulses. My love of cabbage came, believe it or not, from school dinners, where my favorite lunch was bangers, mash and white cabbage, lumpy gravy and all!
This dish from Sophie Grigson has to be one of the most versatile recipes I’ve come across in a long time.
It’s tasty, simple to prepare and can be made a day in advance.
Served with jacket potatoes it makes a warming winter vegetarian dinner for 4 and with the addition of chops or fish, an excellent side dish for 6.
GRATIN OF CABBAGE AND LENTILS
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
5oz (140g) green or brown lentils
13oz (375g) white cabbage, shredded
1oz (25g) breadcrumbs
1oz (25g) parmesan cheese
A drizzle of olive oil
for the sauce:
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3 tbsp (45ml) olive oil
1 tsp (5ml) ground coriander
2 large sprigs thyme
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp (15ml) tomato puree
1 tsp (5ml) caster sugar
leaves from 1 large sprig basil, roughly torn
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 200C/F/Gas Mk 6.
Cook the lentils in boiling unsalted water for 20-30 minutes until just tender. Drain well and set aside.
Gently fry the onion, garlic and red pepper in the olive oil until soft, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the coriander and thyme and cook for 30 seconds then tip in the tomatoes, tomato puree and sugar. Season with salt and pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, to a thick sauce, about 15-30 minutes.
Remove the thyme and stir in the basil. Check the seasoning.
While the sauce is cooking, steam the cabbage for about 4-5 minutes, until just tender.
Mix the cabbage and lentils with the tomato sauce and spoon into a shallow ovenproof gratin dish.
Mix the breadcrumbs and cheese together and sprinkle over the top. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake in the oven for 30-30 minutes until sizzling hot and golden.
Serve immediately.
