COOKING TIME: 40 minutes
ingredients
serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
14 ounce tinned chopped tomatoes
1/4 level teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 oz (150 g) medium-ground cracked wheat
1/2 pint beef or chicken stock
2 medium onions, peeled, each studded with a clove
1 bay leaf
5 oz (150 g) brown lentils, cleaned of grit and rinsed
1 carrot, peeled and thickly sliced
1 garlic clove, unpeeled
Fresh bouquet garni
3/4 pint (425 ml) water
Freshly ground black pepper
1 level tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
method
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the chopped onion in it over a low heat for 5 minutes, until golden. Stir in the tomatoes and cayenne pepper. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat, cover and leave to simmer for about 25 minutes, until thickened.
2. Meanwhile, bring the bulgur to the boil in the stock. Put in one of the studded onions and the bay leaf, then simmer, covered, for 25 minutes, until the bulgur is tender and all the stock absorbed. Take off the heat and leave in the covered pan for 10 minutes.
3. While the bulgur is cooking, bring the lentils to the boil in a large saucepan with the carrot, garlic, the remaining onion, the bouquet garni and the water. Once boiling, turn down the heat, cover the pan and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the lentils are softened.
4. Drain the lentils and season with black pepper. Turn into a warmed serving dish, discarding the bouquet garni, and sprinkle with the cilantro. Spoon the bulgur into a warmed serving dish and garnish with the onion and bay leaf. Pour the sauce into a third warmed dish.
Put the separate dishes of lentils, cracked wheat and tomato sauce on the table for the diners to help themselves. A side salad of celery and apple adds bite, and you can use some of the celery leaves to garnish the three dishes.
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more information
You can make a bouquet garni from 1 sprig each of fresh thyme, parsley and rosemary, 1 bay leaf and a small stick of celery. Simply gather the herbs into a small posy and tie securely with fine string.
