Stuart Gillies’ lentil recipes: braised with pasta and spiced with cod

Stuart Gillies writes that, like many in 1980s Britain, he didn’t really understand lentils until he had them braised in a French restaurant. He now favours French puy, Italian casteluccio and Spanish pardina for their refined, resilient flavours and versatility; they pair well with fish, meat or vegetables.

His Italian-style braised lentils make a rich base for pasta, improve after reheating and provide earthy comfort that is also good for you. The spiced puy lentils served with cod are aromatic and sweetly spiced, drawing on flavours more reminiscent of southern Spain and north Africa.

Gillies finishes the dish with garlic-and-parsley-butter crisps; the lentils also work perfectly on their own with grilled bread and salad or paired with chicken. His method builds flavour by cooking the lentils, then sweating shallot, ginger, garlic and chilli before adding cumin, balsamic, chilli and soy sauces, tomato juice and passata, and folding the lentils back in to finish with lime and coriander.

Britain

stuart gillies, lentils, puy lentils, casteluccio, pardina, braised lentils, pasta, cod, garlic butter, spiced lentils