Purée de Lentilles

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •3-quart (2.8-liter) heavy saucepan
• •8- to 10-inch (20- to 25-cm) sturdy fine-mesh sieve or tamis
• •Flexible bowl scraper or sturdy wooden spoon
• •Small saucepan for warming the milk

Instructions

1. 1

   Sort and rinse

   Pick through the lentils for any small stones or damaged seeds, then rinse them under cold water until the water runs clear. Lentils need no soaking. What they need is enough cooking to surrender completely beneath a spoon, because a firm centre will remain gritty after sieving.

2. 2

   Cook until yielding

   Put the lentils in a heavy saucepan with the cold water and 1½ teaspoons (7.5 ml / 9 g) of the salt. Bring slowly to a boil, skim away any grey foam, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 30 to 35 minutes. Add a little boiling water if the lentils rise above the liquid. They are ready when one pressed between a spoon and the pan becomes paste without resistance. Reserve 1 cup (240 ml / 240 g) of the cooking liquid, then drain the lentils thoroughly.

3. 3

   Sieve while hot

   Set a sturdy fine-mesh sieve or tamis over a clean bowl and press the lentils through in small batches while they are still piping hot, using a flexible scraper or the back of a ladle. The heat keeps their starch supple and lets the flesh pass while the skins remain behind. If the lentils cool and become stubborn, return the unsieved portion to the saucepan with 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g) of reserved cooking liquid and warm it through. Ça se rattrape. Do not use a food processor, which chops the skins into the purée instead of removing them.

   Protect the hand holding the sieve with a folded towel and use a scraper, never bare fingers. The lentils must be hot, but the cook needn't be burned.
4. 4

   Work in butter

   Return the hot purée to a clean, heavy saucepan. Add the butter in three additions, beating firmly after each until it disappears and the purée becomes glossy. This first enrichment coats the lentil starch before the fierce drying that follows. Butter, not margarine. The butter is part of the structure as surely as it is part of the flavor.

5. 5

   Dry over brisk heat

   Set the saucepan over medium-high heat and beat continuously with a sturdy wooden spoon or flexible spatula for 4 to 7 minutes, spreading the purée across the pan floor and gathering it back again. A professional range supplied a broad fierce fire; a heavy home saucepan over a strong burner gives the same evaporation without sacrificing control. Stop when the purée pulls together, leaves a clean trail across the pan, and no longer releases watery moisture. If it catches, do not scrape the scorched layer into the food. Transfer the untouched purée immediately to a clean saucepan and continue over slightly lower heat.

6. 6

   Restore with milk

   Lower the heat and beat in ½ cup (120 ml / 125 g) of the warm milk a little at a time. Add only enough of the remaining milk to make a smooth purée that falls from the spoon in a broad fold yet still holds a soft mound. Season with the white pepper and the remaining salt. If it becomes slack, dry it over medium heat for another minute; if it stands too stiffly, beat in another spoonful of warm milk. Ça se rattrape. Spoon it into a warm serving dish and bring it straight to the table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose whole green or brown lentils. The small green lentils of the Velay make a particularly fine purée, though ordinary green lentils serve honestly; split red lentils collapse differently and make another preparation.
• •A food mill fitted with its finest disc can begin the work, but finish through a fine sieve if you want the texture the dish promises. The sieve removes the skins. A blender merely makes them smaller.
• •Do not weaken the drying step. It concentrates the lentil flavor and makes room for the milk without turning the purée watery. This is the technique, not ceremony.
• •We don't apologize for butter. It gives the purée its gloss, carries the earthy flavor of the lentils, and helps the finished mixture hold together rather than tasting thin.
• •Serve beside roast pork, duck, or a plainly grilled sausage, where the purée can catch the juices. A light Côtes d'Auvergne red keeps the regional conversation intact.

Advance Preparation

• •Complete the purée while the lentils are hot rather than cooking and chilling them before sieving. Cool the finished purée promptly in a shallow covered container and refrigerate it for up to 2 days.
• •Reheat gently in a heavy saucepan, beating in warm milk one spoonful at a time until the original supple consistency returns. It may also be held for 30 minutes over a barely simmering bain-marie with buttered parchment pressed against the surface.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 190g)