Hot Lentil Salad with Sumach
'LXVII. lenticula uero et ipsa bona lauata et bene elixa in aqua pura, ita ut
illa prima calda fundatur, et alia calda missa cum ratione, non satis, et sic
coquatur lente in carbonibus, ita ut cum cocta fuerit, acetum modicum mittatur
pro sapre, et addatur ibi species illa, quae dicitur rus Syriacus, puluere facto
quantum coclear plenum, et spargatur super lenticulam dum in foco est, et
commisceatur bene; tollatur de foco et manducetur. tamen oportet pro sapore
oleum gremiale, dum coquitur in secunda aqua, mitti coclear bonum plenum, et
coriandrum unum aut duo cum radicibus suis, non minutatim sed integrum, et
modicum de sale pro sapore faciendum.'
'67. Lentils are good when washed and carefully boiled in fresh water. Make sure
that the first lot of water is poured away, and a second lot of hot water added
as required, but not too much, and then boil the lentils slowly on the hearth.
When they are cooked, add for flavour a little vinegar, together with the
addition of that spice which is called Syrian sumach. Sprinkle a spoonful of
this spice over the lentils while they are still on the fire, and stir in well.
Take the lentils off the fire and serve. You can for flavouring add a good
spoonful of oil from unripe olives to thr second lot of water while the lentils
are still cooking, as well as one or two spoonfuls of coriander including the
roots -- not ground but whole -- and a pinch of salt for seasoning.'
Text notes:
An early example of the process similar to the quick-soak method of cooking
legumes. Lentils don't really need this, but soaking, and to a lesser extent,
the quick-soak (usually involving covering the legumes by an inch or two in
water, bringing it to a boil, and letting it sit, covered, for an hour or so
before finishing cooking) is thought by some to reduce the legumesí capacity to
cause flatulence. This version blanches the lentils, throws away the first
water, then cooks them again in fresh water. Another example of a knowledge of
the food chemistry involved in cooking legumes is the fact that vinegar is added
after the lentils are cooked. (Acids tend to prevent beans from softening as
they cook, which is why Le Managier is so detailed on the local water used to
cook beans.)
Ingredients:
1 lb. lentils, ~ 2 1/3 cups
3-4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 - 1 bunch cilantro, chopped, with whole roots tied in a bundle, removed
before serving
2 Tbs sumach, or to taste
1 Tbs salt, or to taste
~3 Tbs wine vinegar (add after lentils are fully cooked!)
Recipe notes:
Most of the ingredients in this dish are best added to your own personal taste.
Use the best olive oil you can get; it really contributes to the flavor of the
dish. We found that there was almost no point at which there could be too much
cilantro, but then we also didnít have a bunch with the roots attached (it would
have onvolved a special trip to a different market), so instead we included a
lot of the stems, which are both flavorful and crunchy.
The recipe doersnít talk of draining the water off the cooked lentils, so a more
pottage-y texture is a possible interpretation. We just used little or no excess
water, and cooked the lentils until they were soft and the water was absorbed,
then added the other ingredients at the end. We found the somewhat dryer salad
version was good, too, so that probably also helped determine the amount, for
example, of sumach and cilantro we added. Either way, we liked it, and so did
several people who donít like lentils.
Source:
Some Recipes from Anthimus' 'De Obseruatione Ciborum Epistula'
(roughly, 'A Little Letter Of Observations On Foods')
Translated by Mark Grant, 1996
Publisher: Prospect Books, Devon
ISBN 0907325 750