Polpette di lenticchie rosse - Red Lentil Boulettes

In Italy, we celebrate the new year's day with a traditional dish of lentils, which should bring luck and money. Today, the 1st January 2019, I make red lentil boulettes to start the new year with a new lentil recipe.

I choose red lentils which are quicker to be cooked to become mushy.

I roughly chop one onion, one medium leek and one carrot, as I like chunky boulettes.

I prepare the florets of a medium cauliflower, arrange them on a large oven tray, drizzle with oil and bake for approx 20 minutes. In this way, I keep my florets crunchy and dry.

I saute the vegetables and the lentils in little oil for 5 minutes, I add vegetable stock and once ready (20-25 minutes) I leave it to cool in the pan. Then, I mix in the cauliflower and two yolks. Finally, I add potato flour, breadcrumbs and Parmesan. 

Eventually, I mould my boulettes, the size of a golf ball, and arrange them over a lined and oiled oven tray.

I want my boulettes evenly oiled but not too greasy, so I lightly brush them with oil.

Polpette di lenticchie rosse - Red Lentil Boulettes

300 g red lentils

1 medium leek, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, quartered and chopped

600 ml vegetable stock

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons turmeric

1 teaspoon paprika

1 medium cauliflower, chopped into small florets

2 yolks

120 g freshly grated Parmesan

60 g homemade breadcrumbs

60 g potato flour

Extra virgin oil

Sea salt

Serves 6 to 8 (you get approximately 45 boulettes)

Preparation time: 30 minutes plus 2 hours to rest

Cooking time: 1 hour and 10 minutes

1. In a pan, heat two tablespoons of oil and sauté the vegetables for 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.

2. Stir in he lentils and cook fro 2 minutes.

3. Pour in the stock, add spices and leave to simmer for 25 minutes on low heat, covered, stirring occasionally.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and leave it to cool in the pan for 2 hours.

5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 C, arrange the cauliflower florets over a lined oven tin, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and bake for 15 minutes until cooked but sill crunchy. Set aside.

6. Stir into the cold lentils the cauliflower florets, the yolks, the Parmesan, 60 g of breadcrumbs and the flou and mix with a wooden spoon.

7. Line an oven tin with parchment and drizzle with oil. Mould your lentil boulettes the size of a golf ball and coat with the remaining breadcrumbs. Arrange over the tin and brush with extra oil.

8. Bake (180 C) for 20 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes.

9. Serve warm, with green salad.