I make - Puy lentils with mustard and cream

This mustard lentils dish has to be one of the tastiest dishes I've made in the recent years. So good that we can't stop eating just the lentils (for devout carnivores, this says something). And the combination with grilled salmon of crispy skin is just out of this world. This combination is so simple and elegant. The reward is a lot more than the ingredients combined.

Puy lentils with mustard and cream

- 1 cup of puy lentils, stone picked, washed and drained
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 leek, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 2 cups of water (or stock)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons of mustard (Dijon, whole grain or English), to taste
- 2 tablespoons of creme fraiche (whipping cream or cream cheese)
- lemon juice

Boil 2 cups of water in a kettle. Pour 1 cup of hot water to soak the drained puy lentils while you prep the vegetables. You can be flexible with the veggies but the essentials are onion and garlic. Diced carrots are nice or a few cherry tomatoes.

In a frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil, fry the onion, leek and celery until light brown. Add in garlic, tomato paste and bay leaves. Stir for 1 minute and deglaze the pan with white wine. Pour in the soaked lentils (liquid and all) and add in the remaining hot water. The water level should just be enough to cover the lentils. Being the pot to boil, lid on and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Lentil cooking time varies so extend or shorten the time to suit your lentils.

With the heat off, stir in mustard and your source of cream. I use a mixture of grainy and English mustard because I like my mustard. If you just want a hint, use Dijon or use teaspoons instead. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, drizzle some fresh lemon juice. This will be one of the most memorable lentil dishes you make.