Stewed lentils with soft rosemary polenta

Ingredients

For 1 serving

• Lentils70 g
• Corn flour60 g
• Carrots60 g
• Celery40 g
• Onion40 g
• Chopped tomatoes120 g
• Rosemary2 g
• Extra virgin olive oil1 tablespoon
• Bay leaves0.5 g
• Saltto taste
• Black pepperto taste

Contains: celery,

In season: October – March

Method

1. Rinse the lentils in a sieve. Peel the carrot and finely chop the carrots, celery and onion.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and fry the chopped vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring, until soft and the onion is translucent.
3. Add the lentils, chopped tomatoes, bay leaf and enough water to cover them by about three fingers; bring to the boil and simmer over low heat, covered, for 35 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the sauce is thick. Add a little hot water if they dry out too much.
4. Meanwhile bring the water for the polenta (about five times the volume of the cornmeal) to the boil in another pan and salt it. Pour in the cornmeal in a steady rain, whisking to avoid lumps, then turn the heat to the minimum and cook for 30 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the polenta is soft and comes away from the sides.
5. Chop the rosemary needles, stir them into the lentils for the last few minutes, remove the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.
6. Spoon the soft polenta onto the plate and serve with the stewed lentils on top.