Ready to eat in under twenty minutes, high in fibre, low in fat and delicious. Discover delicious Puy lentils for yourself and enjoy easy gourmet meals that are simple to prepare and good for you! Puy lentils are known in France as the “pauper’s caviar” as, although they are more expensive than other pulses, they are still a budget gourmet ingredient.
Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée
Only 88 communes in the Auvergne region, in the centre of France, are authorized to name their lentils “Lentille Verte du Puy”, Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, or Puy Lentils (AOC). They have been grown in the area since Roman times, and were awarded their “Appellation” in 1996. They remain ever popular amongst those who appreciate fine food.
Qualities of Puy Lentils
The flavor of puy lentils is excellent and unique, with meaty, peppery overtones. Puy lentils retain their shape and texture during cooking, unlike many other types of lentils which break down into a puree. These small lentils are an attractive, marbled green color, have a thin skin and a fine, soft texture within.
How to Enjoy Puy Lentils
A very simple way to enjoy Puy lentils is to gently simmer them in three times their volume of water for 15 to 20 minutes, and serve as a side vegetable. The cooking time may be reduced to 7 minutes in a pressure cooker. Try gently frying a finely chopped onion in olive oil in the pan before adding the lentils and water.
Salmon, Brown Rice and Puy Lentils with Thyme
Ingredients per person
- 100 grams wholegrain rice
- 50 grams Puy lentils
- One small salmon portion, cooked and flaked
- Lemon juice
- Bay leaf
- Ground Black Pepper
- Sel de Guerande or other unrefined Sea Salt
- Fresh Thyme
- 1 tablespoon Crème Fraiche d’Isigny, or other sourced cream
- Real chicken bone stock, or water
- 50 grams grated hard cheese
Boil the wholewheat rice according to the instructions in the bone stock or water, adding the Puy lentils, chopped thyme, salt, pepper and bay leaf 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time, also adding additional stock or water to allow the lentils to swell.
When the lentil and rice mixture is cooked, take off the heat and add the lemon juice, crème fraiche or soured cream and the flaked salmon. Remove bay leaves, and mix well. Place the mixture in an ovenproof dish, sprinkle over the grated hard cheese and place under the grill until the cheese begins to brown. Serve immediately with a good white wine and a green salad.
Puy lentils are just one of many inexpensive gourmet ingredients that can transform your cooking without costing a fortune!
