White Wine Lentil Stew

Ingredients

225g/8oz green or brown lentils

6 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

200g/7oz red or green peppers, finely chopped

100g/3½oz serrano ham

1 tbsp sweet paprika

1 tin of tomatoes, skinned, chopped

125ml/4fl oz dry white wine

1 tbsp chopped parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.

Rinse and drain the dry lentils. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add in the lentils. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for half an hour or until the lentils are tender. Drain into another saucepan, keeping the cooking liquid (we will use this later on).

2.

In a large frying pan, fry the garlic in one tablespoon of olive oil until lightly golden. Add in the onions, and let them sweat on a low heat (with the lid on the pan). Once the onions are soft add in the pepper and the paprika and simmer for 10 minutes (removing the lid of the pan). Then add in the serrano ham and fry for
a further 5 minutes.

3.

On a medium heat, add in the white wine and let it bubble for a couple of minutes. Then add in the tomatoes. Let the sauce simmer until it reduces to a thick sauce.

4.

Add in the lentils with 150ml of the reserved cooking liquid. Add the chopped parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for a further 5-7 minutes.
Tip: This stew is also delicious with carrot, leaks, and sweet potato. Adapted to suit your taste – or fridge contents!