Puy Lentils - Any good recipes?

[Darkstream]

I have been trying out Puy Lentils, the small dark green/grey European lentils like a
smaller version of the brown ones.

They are supposed to have the best flavour of all, but I have found them insipid in
comparison to Indian varieties (even without the curry powder), even when flavoured
with bacon,garlic and red wine.

So does anyone have any recipes that work for this variety?

 

[Barbara L]

I did a search and most of the recipes for puy lentils seem to rely on lots of spices. I have never used puy lentils, but hopefully someone will have some good recipes for you.

Barbara

 

[Andy M.]

America's Test Kitchen published a recipe for a lentil soup that uses de puy and other lentils. Check out their website.

 

[Ishbel]

Puy lentils appeared on nearly every choice of main course in the more up-market UK restaurants over the past 3 or 4 years. I can't STAND them!

The only flavour they seem to have, is whatever has been added to them during cooking!

I've had them served in a posh restaurant in the Highlands - decoratively laid on a plate beneath a piece of venison... I've had them with fish (yuk!), beef and lamb, too....

I'm glad the love affair chefs seem to have had with the things appears to be over, judging by the removal of lentils from a lot of the restaurant selections I've noticed recently

 

[Darkstream]

Well thanks for that Ishbel. That mimicks my experience precisely. The "ordinary" brown/olive large lentils are still OK, they retain their "earthy" flavour.

But I think neither of them can compete with toor dhal, mung beans etc for flavour and texture.

Glad to know it was not just my cooking.

 

[Ishbel]

I use the larger 'orange' coloured lentils a lot in soups - Scottish Lentil soup has quite a lot in it... Not too keen on the way they are cooked in Indian cuisine - although I LOVE Indian food... 8) Most of the 'Indian' restaurants in the UK are actually Bangladeshi, anyway....