- 1 cup black beluga lentils
- 1 yellow onion, 1/2 minced, 1/2 chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 celery stalks, minced
- EVOO
- 6 T butter
- 1 lb mushrooms, cut in halves or thirds, parallel to the stem
- 6 sprigs thyme
- red pepper flakes
- 3-4 cups chicken broth or bouillion
- splash white wine
- splash champagne vinegar
Melt 2 T butter in 1 T EVOO in a sauce pan & sautee celery and minced onions ’til soft (~9 minutes) on medium heat. Add lentils & thyme and stir ’til coated. Add 3 cups broth or bouillion/water, 1 T black pepper, and bring to a low simmer. Cover & cook until lentils are al dente (~35-40 minutes), checking the liquid level to stir and add more liquid if necessary every 10 minutes. Turn of the heat, remove the thyme sprigs, add champagne vinegar to taste (~1-2 T) and continue to stir the lentils as they cool to allow the remaining liquid to boil off.
In a cast iron pan, heat 2 T EVOO on medium, and brown the mushrooms on their sides 4-5 minutes each side. Add 2 T butter, garlic & chopped onions and cook the mixture until the onions are soft. Turn off the heat, sprinkle red pepper flakes, deglaze the pan with a bit of white wine, add the remainder of the butter and stir until melted.
Add the lentils to the cast iron pan, turn up the heat, and cook together while mixing for a few minutes to cook off a little bit of the remaining mixture.
Enjoy!