Lentils Provencal

Instructions

1. Coat the bottom of a medium pot with a big splash of water.
2. When hot, add the diced onion and garlic and cook it for about 5 minutes, until very fragrant. Keep adding small amounts of water to prevent burning.
3. Add the stock, lentils, and Herbes de Provence, then raise the heat and bring the pot to a boil.
4. Lower the heat and allow the lentils to simmer until just ‘a tad’ undercooked, about 20 minutes.
5. Add a bit of hot water to the pot if it gets too dry while simmering. While the lentils cook, sauté the mushrooms in a little water.
6. Add the mushrooms in an even layer, being careful to avoid crowding the pan or else they boil and become water logged.
7. I saw that a TV chef cooked them on a flat tray in the oven to dry them out a bit instead of sautéing them. I now use his method instead.
8. If you wish to cook them in a pan, do so in small batches.
9. Cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes on each side, until browned and tender.
10. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet and transfer them to a plate.
11. Add the wine to the lentil stew.
12. Raise the heat and bring it to a simmer.
13. Stir the cooked mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato paste, olives, and capers into the pot.
14. Bring it back up to a simmer to reheat a little.
15. Adjust the seasoning and the liquid to suit.
16. Serve with green side vegetables.