New and improved! I’ve had a few people ask me about this since I started making it earlier this year (this post was originally dated 1/12) so I’ve updated it with my subsequent findings.
Italian Lentil Stew
Ingredients
- 1-2 lbs prosciutto end
- 1 1/4 cups Puy lentils
- 1 head kale
- 1-2 leeks
- 4 carrots
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 small (6oz) can tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine, preferably a dry DOC
- Italian herb blend (basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano)
- Red pepper flakes
- Black pepper
- Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
On prosciutto
The Italian deli near my place (shouts out to Mona Lisa) has prosciutto ends because they also sell it by the slice. When they get to the end of the leg they wrap it in plastic and throw it in the chiller for $8 a pound. While not great for making thin, wide slices this thing is absolute gold for making stews and soups. Remove or cut around any plastic threads or metal buttons then dice into quarter-inch cubes, skin and all. While you’re at it try and cut out any large pieces of fat so that you can use it to saute instead of adding olive oil. Using the skin also means that you don’t have to add any salt to this recipe. Don’t worry - it’ll soften during the cooking process and end up tasty.
If you can’t find a prosciutto end then you can substitute pancetta or just use a different protein altogether. Italian sausage is the obvious choice here. If you do so then be aware that you’ll have to use olive oil and add salt to compensate. It’d also be a wise idea to use chicken stock instead of water to compensate for the flavor that would ordinarily be imparted by the cured ham.
On lentils
I use Puy lentils in this recipe because they’re hearty and have the best macros out of virtually any starch in existence. You can likely get away with using regular ones if you can’t find them but be aware that you’ll likely have to adjust cooking time to avoid them getting mushy. Yes, I’m aware that they’re French and this is an allegedly-Italian dish. Deal with it.
Instructions
Cut the leeks into quarter-inch-thick pieces and rinse in a bowl to get rid of the dirt. Grate a whole carrot then coarsely chop the garlic onions, carrots, garlic, and leeks. Put a large dutch oven or stock pot on medium heat and start sauteeing the leeks and carrots. If you were able to get some prosciutto fat then use that, otherwise use olive oil. Add black pepper to taste. While waiting on the vegetables cut up the prosciutto if you haven’t already done so along with the carrots into quarter-inch-thick rounds. Once the leeks are softened push them to the side and add the tomato paste to the pot. Stir it around and carmelize it until fragrant. Deglaze with wine, making sure to scrape everything off the bottom of the pan. Add red pepper flakes, italian herbs, carrots, prosciutto, and lentils along with enough water to cover everything. Cook for 35 minutes with the lid on, then add kale and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve with blue cheese on the side. The finished dish should be stewlike - not too soupy, but with enough liquid to be rich and saucy.
Notes
You might have to adjust water and cooking time depending on the specific ingredients you use; if all of the liquid cooks off then add more water, if something ends up too mushy then add it later, etc. 40 minutes seems to work and you’ll end up with a very thick consistency which I appreciate since it concentrates the flavors of the dish well. As written this recipe has a roughly 1:1:1 ratio of calories from each major macronutrient. If you need more carbs then I’d suggest adding some crusty bread to the side; for even more protein chicken breast can be used instead of prosciutto so long as you add stock and salt as mentioned earlier to compensate.