This month’s recipe of the month is bought to you by Ruben Lopez Mesa, founder of Eat Spanish and an energetic chef who loves nothing better than a basket full of local produce to inspire his latest menu.
Now based in Orange, his love of fresh, seasonal and local food, combined with the lessons learned from a food-obsessed family, gives Ruben a unique skill at combining local flavours with Spanish techniques.
Ingredients:
500 gr of dried green/brown lentils
1.5 ltr water/stock
350g of fresh cooking chorizo sausage
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 leek (white only), washed and finely chopped
1 large zucchini, peeled and finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1 potato, peeled & finely chopped
1 large tomato, peeled and finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp of Spanish smoked paprika dulce
1 tsp cumin
5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Seasoning (Remember you can add any vegetable available in the season for this recipe)
** Grandma’s tip – chop everything as small as the lentils
Method:
1. Step ‘SOFRITO’: add garlic and olive oil in a pot. Sauté well. Add bay leaf, brunoise onion and leek, cook until it begins to look translucent and jam’ish’
2. Add other vegetables one by one (from hardest to softest). Sauté well!
3. Then add water/stock, spices and lentils, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Skim fat off the surface
4. Add chorizo, WHOLE
5. Cook everything until lentils and rest of veggies get soft (will take approximately 1hr). Get the chorizo, set it out and slice (you’ll see all the juices inside)
6. Taste and ADD SEASONING!
Serve with white rice, fried eggs, fresh bread or just by itself. Enjoy!