Miles Collins

Brilliant with almost anything…

I love using puy lentils, they taste great and are so versatile that they are seldom off my menu. I use them as a starter, as a soup, as part of a salad or as a garnish for a main course.

The French town of Le Puy make the best lentils, it’s all in the terroir and I believe it. The lentils are small with a dark green/black coating and cook beautifully. I’ve written a simple recipe below for anyone interested, you can adapt it accordingly to suit your taste. I like to add some smoked bacon to the lentils as they cook to give it extra flavour, you could also try a glug of beer or red wine before adding any stock or water.

This recipe is for a warm salad flavoured with vinaigrette, you could add some smoked sausage or some chunks of goats cheese at the end. I also like to add strips of slow cooked duck and caramelised onions which are served slightly warm with some freshly baked baguette.

500g lentils du puy  1 onion cut in half and studded with bay leaf and cloves  1 garlic clove 

dressing: 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil  1/4 cup red wine vinegar 2tsp chopped fresh tarragon  salt and pepper

Wash the lentils and cover with cold water, add the onion and garlic. Bring to a boil before simmering until soft, about 20-25 minutes. You may need to add a little more water but this should be absorbed by the time the lentils are cooked.

Whisk the ingredients for the dressing together, remove the garlic and onion from the pan and pour the dressing over the lentils. Season well.