Pardina lentils with white wine, Serrano ham and pimentón Recipe

Pardina lentils with white wine, Serrano ham and pimentón Recipe

  • 225g/8oz green-brown lentils, such as pardina
  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 head garlic, cloves peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 200g/7oz carrot, finely chopped
  • 100g/3½oz thinly sliced Serrano ham, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp pimentón dulce (smoked sweet Spanish paprika)
  • 2 large vine-ripened tomatoes, skinned, chopped
  • 125ml/4fl oz dry white wine
  • 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  1. Check over the lentils for any little stones, then rinse in cold water. Tip them into a saucepan, add enough cold water to cover them by 5cm/2in and bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat
  2. and leave them to simmer for about 30 minutes or until just tender but still a little al dente. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid, and set to one side.
  3. Put the olive oil, garlic, onion and carrot in a wide, shallow pan over a medium heat and cook gently for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and just beginning to colour. Add the Serrano ham and fry for another 5-6 minutes.
  4. Stir in the pimentón, tomatoes and wine and simmer for 5-6 minutes or until the mixture cooks down into a thick sauce.
  5. Stir the lentils into the sauce with 150ml/5fl oz of the reserved cooking liquid, the chopped parsley, 1½ teaspoons of salt and some pepper. Simmer for a further 5-6 minutes.
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