Bay-Scented Lentils with Onion, Leeks and Kale

Bay-Scented Lentils with Onion, Leeks and Kale does not sound like a particularly exciting dish, but then again, pulses typically aren't exhilarating are they? I like them, and eat them often, but they are not sexy, even when they are delicious - which this dish is.

There is something delightful about the earthy, chalky taste of good lentils, and I have found that bay leaf, in abundance, adds an herbal element to them so I always add bay leaf when cooking lentils. Here, I have added even more than usual, and the allium round out the flavors even more. The kale is there for window dressing, color and additional texture.

This recipe makes enough for six portions. My sister and I had two with a delicious pork chop lunch, I ate one with a microwaved sweet potato, and the other two portions went into the freezer to be used in a quick soup or pasta sauce at some point.

1 cup lentils ( I used brown, but you can use green, Puy, or Beluga ones, anything except the red ones which, while delicious, lose their texture too quickly for this recipe.)

1 large leek, tough green portion trimmed (wash well and save in freezer for later day soup) and white portion cut into thin circles and then separated into rings

1 medium yellow or white onion, diced small

1 bunch of lacinato kale, stems and ribs removed (ditto freezer for soup as above), and the greens thinly sliced

3 bay leaves

Salt to taste

1 Tbsp olive oil

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. As soon as it shimmers, add the onions along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring from time to time, until the onion starts to soften.

Add the leeks, the lentils and the bay leaves; stir to combine. Add two and a half cups of water (or vegetable broth, or chicken stock if you so wish) to the pan. Cover, lower the heat and cook for ten minutes.

After ten minutes, stir in the kale, add some additional salt to taste, cover, and and cook for an additional eight minutes. You can also add up to an additional half cup of liquid at this point as - and I do not scientifically know why though I suspect it has to do with age on the shelf - some lentils absorb more liquid than others.

After eight minutes, remove the lid, stir to combine, and taste a lentil or two. You want them to be yielding under your teeth, but not soft or mushy. Continue to cook for a few more minutes until they are the texture that you like.

Remove the bay leaves and spoon onto your serving dish or plate with a slotted spoon to remove any liquid which might remain.

I served these with baked Li Hing Mui (dried Chinese plum) rubbed pork chops (as illustrated in the terrible photo below.) Had I not wanted a dish of quiet tonalities to sit next to the vivid chops, I would have made this lentil dish with the addition of diced carrot and sweet potato. I made up for it by using some of the leftovers to top a microwaved sweet potato for lunch.