Thirst for travel It all started to enter a WorldNomads competition. The idea is to share my knowledge about the places I have been or lived with all of you.

Passport & Plate - Lentejas con chorizo

Spain | Friday, March 7, 2014 | 5 photos

Ingredients
The basic ingredients are: lentils, garlic, chorizo(optional), bay leaves, potatoes, onions, carrots, green peppers, paprika, salt, olive oil and water or broth. Anyone can do this anywhere in the world.This dish is open to different versions and customizations. Make it your own adding/taking out more veggies or meats.

 

How to prepare this recipe
Maybe this is not one of the most glamourous dish (or famous one) but in Spain it is an institution that you can find in every household table or working class restaurant. It is one those warm-up-your cockels kind of dish. Usually made by mothers or grandmothers through decades. With different variations depending on what was available at the time. During the civil war it probably didn't contain chorizo or peppers (luxury goods for the post war Spaniards too).

We start by cleaning a bit the lentils with water and placing them in a pot with the chorizo (whole), two cloves of garlic (not peeled), a bay leaf and the peeled and chopped potatoes. Cover with water or broth and take it to boil. When it is boiling turn the heat down and let it cook for about 20 to 30 minutes. If you see there isn't enough water you can add some more.

In the meantime chop the onions, carrots (peeled) and green peppers. Pour some olive oil over a pan and heat it without burning it. Add the onions, some salt and stir a few minutes. Turn the heat down a bit if you see they are getting brown. Then add the carrots and the peppers and stir well. Add salt and simmer them over medium heat until they are done. Then add a teaspoon of paprika and remove the pan from the heat.

Once your lentils are half done add the stir fried veggies with the paprika and mix well. Taste it and add more salt and pepper if needed. Finish cooking the lentils 5 to 10 more minutes or until they are soft.

Cut the chorizo in individual pieces and serve the soup in a bowl with a piece of chorizo per person. Be careful to take out the garlic cloves and the bay leaf.

 

The story behind this recipe
There is nothing extraordinary about it but its simplicity is what makes it really special and accesible to all tastes. For me what makes it special is that it was my grandmother's recipe. My grandmother devoted her life to take care of her husband and son (my father). She grew up during the civil war in a remote little village in the Pyrenees mountains and she was lucky to have a well off family. However when the war stroke, her family suffered the shortages like everybody else. Maybe that is what conditioned her cooking style and repertory. There wasn't much to offer and to cook with, so she had to do miracles. My grandmother's cooking was simple and not very varied but I remember her dishes affectionately and eating them made me feel in a safe place. That is what I think it can be communicated through this dish: tradition, love, warmth, security and comfort.

I grew up in a house where food was the center of it all. My mother is a qualified chef and learnt a great deal of recipes, quite sofisticated and varied, through the years. At home food was so good and surprising I was never bored of it.

However when I was little, going to spend the weekend to my grandmother's house and enjoying her simple cooking was a delight. I loved the fact that she always pampered and spoilt me with my favorite meals and I remember these lentils with so much love. I managed to get the recipe from her a few years before she died. The recipe has always been like my refuge when I needed comfort and warmth.

I have never given it away before. However after many years doing different jobs that didn't make me very happy I have started to study culinary school and in 2 years I will be a qualified chef. It is my duty as an aspiring chef, to share this recipe with all the world, so anybody can find comfort in this soup like I do. I couldn't be happier if I get chosen to go to Italy and interact with other professionals so I can learn what makes them loving this profession as much as I do.