4 days ago
Let's Lentil
Not included in the job description for 'New York Times Cooking editor' is the responsibility of, essentially, acting as Food Google for the people in your life. (H.R., call me, let's get this in writing.)
No one seizes upon this quite like my friend Scaachi. There are the near daily 'What should I make for dinner' texts, followed by more pointed inquiries: 'Does it have to be chunky peanut butter?' (No.) 'What if I can't find hoisin?' (You will.) 'I don't like bagged coleslaw, can I just cut vegetables?' (Yes.) 'Can I skip the shallots they seem fussy?' (Never skip crispy shallots — just buy instead of fry.)
A few weeks ago, she texted me Ali Slagle's new-ish recipe for gorgeously green spicy miso lentil soup. 'I don't know what kind of lentils I have but I have so many kinds,' she wrote. 'I have French lentils I think? What are those.'
French lentils, or Le Puy lentils, are a type of green lentil, and they are ideal for Ali's soup. Like brown or black lentils (such as Beluga lentils), their skins are intact, so they maintain their shape when cooked. 'Any differences in appearance, texture and taste among these three types of lentils are negligible enough that they can be used interchangeably,' Ali writes in this thorough explainer on all things lentil. 'Use whichever variety is available to you.'
Case in point: Naz Deravian's mujadara, a hearty and cost-effective dish of lentils and rice topped with beautifully brown fried onions, calls for green, brown or black lentils. And this summery orzo salad from Ali, filled with raw zucchini, crunchy nuts, pickled pepperoncini peppers, scallions and herbs, takes well to either green or brown lentils.
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